


True North

by Styx_11



Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:22:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 259,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23887366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Styx_11/pseuds/Styx_11
Summary: This story takes place in the fictional universe of the well known video game of Monster Hunter World & Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. We follow the life of a fictional character, Deimos, journeying with him as he goes through a string of events discovering more about not only the world around him, but more about himself as well. This tale follows the sequence of events starting from the government of the Old World initiating an expedition into the New World, sending forth its most talented individuals in fleets, each specialising in an area of either combat or research. The Commission were the first to set foot into the New World and were accompanied by the First Fleet. Three fleets followed after and the commission have been kept busy with frequent monster attacks and experiencing a shortage of supplies, surviving on barely enough resources to keep its base camp, Astera, functional. They are now in desperate need of reinforcements after discovering something very unsettling...
Comments: 154
Kudos: 25





	1. The Lone Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The story might be based off a familiar background setting but the sequence of events may or may not follow the game closely. DO NOT expect anything in the following chapters to be familiar. Having some basic knowledge of the game will definitely help you appreciate some references but it is by no means necessary to follow the story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Cheers!

Deimos let out a soft moan as he stretched himself out of his cold hard bed. He could feel his joints crack and his muscles aching from all the training yesterday. He sat up by the side of his bed and stared down at his feline Palico companion; Phobos, still soundly asleep. The Palicoes were a feline race that made an alliance with the humans a long time ago, living together peacefully and making invaluable hunting companions. Phobos was more than a companion to Deimos, and more of a brother to him. You see, Deimos was raised by his single mother, who was the most wonderful woman he has ever known, and coming from a guy who has met many women, that really is saying something. Phobos was part of the family, and mother treated him as much as a son as she did to Deimos. Named after the twin offsprings of the Greek God Ares, the two were inseparable. It was not uncommon for parents to name their children after cosmic entities. After all, the Sapphire Star was a famous tale, and has been a symbol of inspiration and guidance for many.  
  
Deimos never met his father, and he was never curious about him either. He was indifferent, and as far as he was concerned, he only had one parent. Despite this, his mother never allowed any of these shortcomings to get in the way of Deimos’ growing up years. She tried to give him as normal a childhood as she could, playing with him, going out with him, and even having conversations about topics that mothers and sons rarely ever talk about. Deimos did not take any of this for granted, but he was never one to show much emotion too. The last thing his mother wanted was to add on to this already burdened child, and so growing up she would always tell him that if he had to choose between saving himself or her, he has to be strong enough to leave her. She has always refused to take his money or food, and she would work for her own share. It was easy for his mother to say this, and as much as Deimos did not show it, he cared deeply for his mother, since she was the only family he had.  
  
At that thought, he snapped back to reality and noticed that Phobos woke himself up by his own loud snore and was now staring at Deimos in a rather puzzled manner. Sitting himself up, leaving bits of his brown fur on his little bed by Deimos’ feet.  
  
‘Well, she was not the only family.’ Deimos mumbled while looking at the fur ball, smiling.  
  
‘Rrreeowww...’ Phobos hissed in annoyance as he performed a rather similar stretch to his human companion just a few minutes ago. He too had been working hard yesterday, stealing his companion’s food by secretly removing the sausage from Deimos’ hotdog bun during dinner.  
  
Deimos got up and went to the bathroom to take a hot shower. He emerged from the hot shower with a wrapped towel round his waist, brushing his blue-ish white hair to one side. As he got himself ready, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, his tan naked torso staring right back at him. His chest muscles were bulging, which paired well with his large bicep and tricep muscles on both arms. He leaned forward and supported his body weight by resting his hands over the toilet basin and stared at his reflection with his deep blue sapphire eyes, water droplets trickling down his muscular arms, and along the track of his popping veins. Deimos had a very symmetrical face, which he took after his mother. He had well-defined cheekbones, and a very distinct jaw line, making him look exceedingly handsome. Despite his time in the military, Deimos’ skin was smooth and well kept, with the exception of a few calluses on his hands. Speaking of which, his life in the military was a result of an impulsive decision. After his mother passed on 5 years ago, the young man was emotionally stricken. His mother was all he had, and with her gone, he struggled to find purpose in life. And so with no regard for his own safety, he began taking part in high risk activities, after all, he had nothing to lose. There was just one big problem; Deimos was a survivor. He was born with nothing, and now ironically, the very nature of who he is as a living being was now clashing with his lack of purpose in life. As he continued staring at his muscular frame in the foggy mirror, he began wondering what he was going to do with his life. He was a decent looking 26 year old man, in the military, why was it so difficult for him to move on and live a normal life? He has been asking himself that question every day since his mother died, but the answer simply never came.

  
*Scrrrrhhh....* a soft screeching noise at the bathroom door broke Deimos’ trance, and he looked over to the door, wondering what is making that hideous noise. He opened it to find Phobos lying on his back rubbing his belly.

  
‘Reee...ooww...’ Phobos purred softly while giving Deimos a suggestive grin, using his right paw to point to his belly while his other paw rubbed around the fat bulge.

  
‘Always hungry eh?’ Deimos said as he went over to the kitchen to prepare something for his companion with nothing but a towel still wrapped around his waist. He prepared simple scrambled eggs, and checked the fridge for any meat left and found that they only had one sausage left. He chuckled to himself, and heated it up. Their meals had to be simple; the military did not pay well. Besides, neither of them were fussy eaters, and turning around, he saw Phobos already seated down like a toddler on the seat with sparkling eyes like a customer who just saw the waiter with their food.

  
‘Don’t make a mess.’ Deimos said placing the plate down in front of his furry friend with golden yellow eggs, and a nice glossy sausage to go with it. Phobos squealed with joy, as he opened his mouth about to stuff his face. Just before he did so, he noticed that Deimos’ plate had half the amount of eggs and no sausage, and he immediately shut his mouth, and his eyes of joy slowly turned to that of concern.

  
‘What’s the matter? You want more?’ Deimos said genuinely, pushing his plate over and using a spoon to give Phobos more scrambled eggs.

  
‘Meeeeooo...w’ Phobos purred silently placing a paw on his hand, stopping him. Following which, using his sharp and tiny claws, Phobos carefully placed them at the half way mark of the sausage, attempting to slice it in half.

  
Deimos let out a soft sigh, and a smirk appeared on his face once he realised what his companion was fussing about and said,

  
‘Don’t worry about me, I’m not hungry’, placing his hand on his paw, stopping him.

  
Phobos face reflected the same concerned look that their mother used to have whenever Deimos got into any sort of trouble, and it did not help that Phobos had the same brown eyes his mother had. As much as Deimos relished in seeing anything he could associate with his mother, it left a bitter aftertaste of nostalgia as well, which his heart could not seem to bear. As quickly as it came, Deimos snapped Phobos out of that look and raised his voice just a little saying,

  
‘Stop fretting and finish your breakfast, we’re going to be late’. Deimos turned his attention now to his own plate and finished the simple meal just as quickly as he prepared them.

  
Deimos and Phobos were in the hunting unit of their platoon. It was like the commandos equivalent, or special ops team. These individuals were trained for one thing only; efficient killing. These hunters spent the first 2 years in rigorous study on the different types of monsters the world had to offer; both Old and New, and were first asked to identify their weaknesses, before getting them to take advantage of it in a more practical setting. Yes, the military worked very closely with the research team in capturing live specimen for both research and training purposes, there was even an arena created just to train hunters. The arena was almost banned due to the barbaric nature and potential accusation of animal cruelty, but it also had a bad reputation of hunters going in but never surviving the exercise. While this characteristic scared off most hunters, it did not sway Deimos, in fact it attracted him to it. Phobos, did not share this sentiment.

  
‘Stop being a wuss, we’ll be fine’, Deimos said while trying to flick a terrified Phobos off his leather greaves while trying to put on the rest of his hunting gear. Deimos’ hunting attire was less than ideal, normal hunters would shake their heads or even laugh at its practicality. But while most hunters tried equipping themselves to the brim with different hunting tools, Deimos strived to do the exact opposite. He was a nimble hunter, an agile predator, he did not believe in arming himself, he believed in being resourceful. He therefore refused to wear any upper body armour due to the sheer weight which as a result, revealed his toned chest and abs. He believed that there was no need for protection if you were not going to get hit, such arrogance. So all he ever needed was a comfortable pair of leather gloves as a support for his slingshot mechanism on his left arm, and a pair of simple leather greaves to protect his feet. He adorned his waist with a simple bone and cloth coil that was made of Nergigante parts; a fearsome Elder Dragon whose bones are notorious for being extremely tough while being exceedingly light, perfect for someone like Deimos. And the final piece was worn not out of practicality, but rather sentiment. A simple black cloth that was given to him by his mother, he wore it round his neck at all times, sometimes making the freezing nights a little more bearable.

  
‘Look, just do as I say and we’ll bring the big boy down. Then we’ll have enough zenny to buy as many sausages as you want later’, at the sound of the word ‘sausage’, Phobos’ ears perked ever so slightly, but the fear came back to grip him as they were about to leave the bunk.

  
‘Hey, if you’re not going to help, then I’ll do it on my own. You’re not going to stop me.’ Deimos gave Phobos an ultimatum, which left a pout on Phobos’ face, following reluctantly into the arena.

  
‘You’re early today’, a husky voice emerged from a gantry booth overlooking the arena.

‘Hey Dan, just trying to keep these babies nice and warmed up. Wouldn’t want to lose my touch’, Deimos said, resting his right hand over his flexing left bicep. ‘You mind releasing the Diablos for me?’

  
‘What? Didn’t you just knock out that Rathalos yesterday? Leave some monsters for the rest of the hunters man’, Dan said while his pupils shrank in disbelieve.

  
‘Nobody’s gonna want to take on the Diablos Dan. Just release the bloody monster. Please?’ Deimos had a certain charm when dealing with people, and gender was no differentiating factor.

‘Well alright, it’s your funeral.’ Dan said as he pulled a metal lever, a wooden gate began rumbling and shaking off the dust it had accumulated over many months of not being used.

  
‘See you in a bit!’ Deimos winked at Dan before jumping into the pit with a charge blade on his back, with Phobos following closely behind. The moment the Diablos saw that its cage had been opened, the horned wyvern raised its curved horns to take a good look at its new threat standing in the middle of the ring. The creature had been filled with rage ever since it was captured, and it was not planning on going back into its cage. Without warning, the Diablos perked its head back down to adjust its horns in front of itself, and charged towards the duo in the ring. Deimos raised his shield with his right hand to block the dust devil in his tracks. The magic-imbued shield reflected majority of the impact back to the creature while absorbing some of it as well. The monster paused as if to study this foreign creature that it has never encountered in the wild before. The Diablos quickly snapped out of it and rammed its head again towards its unruly target. Once again, Deimos stood his ground, absorbing the impact, and reflecting some of it back to the creature. The monster could tell charging head-on would not work, and so it immediately implored a new tactic and burrowed underground. Its large winged talons displacing volumes of dirt quickly, making space for its gargantuan size and forming a huge dust cloud in its wake. When the dust settled, only its spiked tail could be seen as in descended into the ground. As soon as the creature thought it had the upper hand, Deimos smiled and thought to himself, gotcha’!

  
He fished out a screamer pod, made from the screamer sacs of Noios; a winged beast that make their home in deserts. He slotted it into the slingshot device on his left arm and fired it where the creature burrowed. Upon impact, the pod let out a piercing screech, which drove the Diablos mad and out of the ground immediately. In its madness, the Diablos surfaced halfway but got stuck, with its lower body trapped in the hardened ground beneath. Its eyes, bloodshot red with rage, and Deimos took the opportunity to unleash the stored energy back to the beast. In one swift graceful motion, he inserted the sword into a sheath located at the back of the shield, and as if alive, the shield accepted the sword as a handle and morphed into the blade of an axe. The momentum allowed Deimos to swing this beast of a weapon and land it directly on the head of the Diablos. The impact, along with the stored energy, was enough to shatter both the horns of the Diablos, causing it to wail in pain. The enraged creature mustered all its remaining strength to break free of the earthly prison, and began charging blindly with its broken horns. At the sight of this, Deimos sheathed his weapon, and threw a tranquiliser bomb at the creature’s face. The purple dust cloud which contained strong drossy chemicals caused it to dose off and lay unconscious in the middle of the arena.  
Picking up a few small fragments of the shattered Diablos horn, he placed them inside a small hunter pouch located round his waist. He grabbed the net by the side of the pit, attempting to climb out of the ring when he noticed something was off. He let go of the net and turned around to scout the ring, only to find his furry companion hiding inside the hole that Diablos had just dug up.

  
‘Come on, you useless little thing’, Deimos said picking up Phobos by the neck and placing him on his shoulder, then climbing up the net and out of the ring, towards Dan’s booth.

  
‘I tranq-ed it, and its sleeping soundly in the pit. I trust your boys can clean up ya?’ Deimos shrugged while walking past Dan’s booth.

  
‘You don’t get paid if you damage military property like that! Did we not make that clear when you cut that Barroth’s tail off the other time? What are we going to do with this Diablos now that it has no horns? It clearly can’t fight anymore, thanks to you!’ Dan was furious, but not so much due to what was done to the creature, but more so because he knew what Deimos was going through and he hated to see his efforts go to waste like that.

  
‘Listen kid, I can only cover for you this one last time, but your recklessness has to stop. Think before you act next time!’ Dan passed Deimos a sack of zenny, with a few extra pieces as a sign of their friendship. Deimos was capable of feeling ashamed for his actions, but he always found a way to justify them regardless. This did not help with his learning process, because he was good at reacting, but never too good at thinking, he never needed to anyway. He gave Dan an apologetic yet grateful nod, before taking the zenny and leaving the arena.  
‘Somebody’s early...’ a cheeky voice appeared from the side as Deimos was leaving the arena.

  
Deimos turned sharply to that familiar voice, and a frown immediately formed on his face and his lips responded, ‘Speak for yourself, Eros’.

  
‘Well I decided to get my ass out of bed earlier today to see what unlucky monster would be facing you, but looks like I still missed the action. It seems like you’re getting earlier and earlier every day. Are you avoiding me?’ Eros said with his left eyebrow lifted in an inquisitive manner. He was just a tad shorter than Deimos and not as muscular, but he was by no means unfit. He was lean, and he shared a similar tan to Deimos, being in the same platoon and undergoing similar training.

  
‘No, I just got up and knocked a Diablos out because I felt like it. Nothing special’, Deimos replied while shrugging his shoulders with Phobos still on his back.

  
‘A what?! You knocked out a Diablos? Dude, you gotta save some monsters for the rest of us. Or at least bring some of us with you for your next practice?’ Eros pleaded with puppy eyes, and hands clasped together right under his chin.

  
‘No.’ Deimos replied quickly and succinctly, before turning his back to Eros and walking away.

  
‘Where the hell have you been? Can you please stop running around like that without telling me? Eros? Eros!’ Rhodes, his handler, screaming into his ear while watching his unresponsive face stare at Deimos as he walked away.

  
‘I think he hates me Rhodes. All I want is to be his buddy you know? Get to know him better, but he’s so...’

  
‘Thick? Well, don’t take it personally, he hates everyone. Now come back inside, everyone’s asking for you.’ Rhodes interrupted and grabbed Eros’ collar, dragging him back to the parade square.

  
‘Deimos’, a firm voice emerged from behind.

  
Deimos turned around to see his commanding officer addressing him.

  
‘Good morning Sir’, Deimos saluted and replied his superior.

  
‘A word, in my office, now’, the officer turned his back on Deimos before finishing his sentence and began strolling back to his office. Deimos rolled his eyes and landed them facing Phobos, staring at him now with a face of pure annoyance.

  
‘What are you looking at? You stupid fluff ball’, Deimos muttered as Phobos let out a soft snigger while putting both paws over his mouth trying to contain his laughter.

  
Deimos followed his commanding officer into his office and closed the door behind him. As Deimos was about to grab a seat, his officer beat him to it saying,

  
‘Don’t bother, this will only take a moment’. At this, Deimos straightened his back and turned his attention to his superior.

  
‘The commission seems to be in need of more reinforcements, this time in the form of hunters. It seems like the situation in Astera is getting more unstable over the years, with the first four fleets already there, the commission’s requests are beginning to become more specific. And their current request was paired with very unsettling news’.

  
‘What news Sir?’ Deimos asked genuinely.

  
‘The research team has found evidence that a creature that has been dormant on the seabed is starting to wake up.’

  
‘Ok, so it is trying to take something from the commission.’

  
‘No.’

  
‘Umm... Ok. So it’s going to attack Astera then.’

  
‘No.’

  
Irritated, Deimos’ tolerance was running thin, ‘Well then what’s the problem?!’

  
‘The problem, young man, is the creature is the size of an island.’

  
Deimos’ eyes enlarged ever so slightly for a split second before consciousness set in and he immediately relaxed his facial muscles to regain his composure.

  
‘I see’, he replied.

  
‘Zorah Magdaros, is what the scholars are deciding to call it. Weird name if you ask me, a little over the top. But the point of me speaking to you now is to ask you if you are willing to join the Fifth fleet into the New World and assist the commission?’ the officer stood up straight with his hands behind his back now as he threw this question to Deimos.

  
Deimos was unsure at first, but as with everything he dealt with in life, he did not really think about it too much and just went with the flow. He was all for the danger and adventure with no regard for his own safety. And just like that, he agreed, and became part of the Fifth fleet.

  
‘As with the Forth fleet, the same rules apply, every hunter will be paired with a-...’

  
‘I work better alone’, Deimos interrupted.

  
‘It was not a question, it was a statement, soldier’, the officer challenged.

  
‘Well you asked for my help, and I am willing to give it to you if you fulfil my terms. Besides, Phobos will be a better handler than anyone you can possibly pair me with’, Deimos said as he crossed his arms, and stared at his furry companion, who was still holding onto his shoulder.

  
The officer laughed, ‘you really are piece of shit. Fine, have it your way. I may not like you, but I cannot deny, nobody has made my research team as busy as you have ever since you arrived, bashing and crippling almost every single live specimen they have. I guess I should thank you for not killing them.’

  
It was interesting for the officer to mention this, because as emotionless as Deimos might seem, he was never the heartless sort. In fact, he found it easier to connect with animals and creatures better than he can with human beings. There was something about them that always seemed calm and composed, being able to connect with each other without words, which always intrigued him. He has never killed an animal or monster for sport, and has only ever done so out of self-defence or food. He would show a creature more sympathy than he would to any of his kin.

  
Deimos left the office and made his way back to his bunk with Phobos. While most recruits here had the liberty of going back home to their families after their daily training, Deimos did not have that luxury. Well, he did not consider home to be a place, but rather a feeling, and he always felt at home with Phobos by his side. It was a blessing in disguise really, since all the zenny they earned could be spent on food and other materials rather than utility bills or rent.

  
It was mid-afternoon, Deimos changed out of his hunting gear and into his exercise gear and made his way over to the track for his usual rounds. Exercising was his way of keeping his mind off things. It was often mistaken that he took pleasure in keeping fit due to his physique, but that was really just a nice side product of his real intentions. Furthermore, the charge blade was not an easy weapon to wield, and it took him 3 whole years to become proficient in it. The weapon demanded not only focus, but a great deal of strength to wield, especially once the sword and shield morph seamlessly into the powerful axe that the charge blade was known famously for.

  
After completing his 5 kilometre run, his shirt was soaking wet in sweat, so he decided to remove the thin layer of cloth that hid his torso, leaving him in his military shorts. He did so at the exercise corner to attract as little attention as possible, and starting pulling his own weight on the bars. With each pull, he felt his biceps and triceps relax and contract, each motion demanding full control over his arms and abdominal muscles. His core had to remain locked in order for his body to remain in proper form. After straightening his elbows, he went for another pull. As he pulled, he started to feel the stretch along his shoulder blades, which led to a little smirk appearing on his face, knowing that he’s taxing the correct muscle group. Lowering himself, he went for another.

  
‘How many have you done hot shot? 20? 30?’ a familiar voice from Deimos’ back reached his ears, followed by a slap on his butt cheeks which sent a tense wave of adrenaline up his spine. Deimos immediately let go of the bar, landing on his feet he quickly turned around with a very well defined frown on his face saying, ‘what the f-...’

  
‘Woah woah woah, chill bro, sorry I startled you, I just wanted to...’ Eros said with raised hands, trying to naively protect his face from Deimos’ already raised clenched fist.

  
‘Wanted to what? Injure me?!’ Deimos interrupted, clenched fist still in the air.

  
‘No, no! I just wanted to congratulate you on making it into the Fifth fleet. The officer mentioned that you were the first hunter that volunteered to be on the Fifth fleet. Shortly after, he told all of us that we will be going as well’, Eros said, eyes glistening as he stared into Deimos’ deep blue eyes, hoping for a response.

  
‘I... I figured that since you were the first one that the officer ever invited to join the fleet, you had to be there on some sort of special request? I don’t know.’ Eros continued, breaking the awkward silence.

  
As much as Deimos was constantly irritated by that nut sack, he could never bring himself to hate him. Eros was the first person who warmed up to him ever since they met in the military, and he was like a younger brother to him. His innocence could only be described as pure. With his back now turned towards Eros, he sighed.

  
‘Ohh com’on dude, don’t be like that, it’s going to be fun! Imagine all the different monsters we are going to face. Ohh and they might have new monsters in the New World that we don’t have here! And, and...’ Eros’ enthusiasm cut short by a swift response by the half naked athlete.

  
‘And new ways to get yourself killed’, Desmos said turning back to face Eros.

‘That may be something I’m prepared for, but are you?’ Deimos now merely a fist’s length away from Eros’ forehead. Deimos felt a sudden chill in his head, realising the wrong words found their way to his lips, which so rarely happened with him. To maintain his precious pride however, he retained his glare for a few more seconds, refusing to flinch, before grabbing his soaked shirt and leaving the track.

  
‘What seems to be the commotion here, gentlemen?’ a feminine voice appeared just as Deimos was about to leave the scene.

  
‘Ohh Rhen! Come, I want you to meet my good buddy Deimos. He’s the best hunter we have in camp, and I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to teach you a thing or two before we leave for Astera! Right buddy?’ Eros rushed over to Deimos’ side, placing his arm across his sweaty shoulders, a look of regret immediately forming on his face.

  
‘No, and I’m not your buddy’, Deimos replied, pushing Eros away from him, relieving him of their uncomfortable physical contact.

  
‘You’ll be fine if you just stay out of my way and stick with the group.’ Deimos now facing Rhen, but refusing to look at her in the eyes. Rhen had a messy ponytail tied at the back with her fringe parting to the sides. Her white hair was long and wild, yet messy was not a word you would use to describe it. She was in a simple red shirt and standard black shorts. The bulge around her chest was obvious, and yet not in the way, which was to say, the perfect size. It didn’t jiggle much, which seemed to suggest that either she wore a tight bra, or she was someone who took fitness really seriously. Her arms were lean, and her body was on the skinny side, which was not a proportional issue since she wasn’t exceptionally tall to begin with.

  
‘Don’t mind him, he’s like that to everyone. He’ll warm up to you, just look at how comfortable the two of us are now! It only took us 5 years...’ Eros started slowing down his speech and lowering his head once he realised how nonsensical his words began to sound.

  
‘Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll warm up to me. I just hope it won’t take 5 years, and I hope the idea of warming up is not the same as, whatever you two have between you’, Rhen replied with sheer confidence.

  
‘What? You have no idea how difficult warming up to this guy is! This is exactly how he treats people who are close and dear to him’, Eros responded proudly while looking at Deimos, who was now looking away disinterested with his arms crossed across his exposed chest.

  
‘Haha, if this is how he treats his friends, I won’t wanna know how he treats his foes’, Rhen joked, but interestingly, this caused a reaction from Deimos, who now turned towards Rhen with a slightly raised eyebrow. Rhen was sharp, and caught that twitch in his facial expression. She giggled, turned around and left, lifting her right hand as she walked off saying, ‘See you guys around.’

  
Deimos, still staring at Rhen as she walked away, tilted his head slightly towards Eros, ‘What did you say her name was again?’

  
‘Rhen, she was transferred to our unit late afternoon yesterday, and was introduced to all of us during this morning’s assembly. You would know if you actually bothered to attend these things. You’re lucky the officer recognises your talent and-... *mmrrrhmmm*’, Eros felt a warm, rough texture across his lips and found that his words started to muffle. He looked down and saw Deimos’ right hand cupped over his mouth to shut him up while he maintained his gaze towards where Rhen was last seen.

  
Eros’ stared at Deimos’ face, then looked towards where he was staring, then returned to his face, and suddenly his eyes became enlarged as if an epiphany has struck. He forcefully removed Deimos’ hand from his mouth and let out a loud cry,  
‘You’re interested in her aren’t you?!’

  
This preposterous comment broke Deimos’ trance and the normal irritated look he had returned. Turning to Eros, he let out a soft yet stern, ‘No’, before turning his back on Eros once again, and left the track for good this time.

  
He returned to his bunk and got himself cleaned up before preparing dinner. There was something about this girl that drew his attention, and it had never happened before. He was as puzzled as he was curious to find out what sparked this reaction within him. Was it her face? Was it her body? Was it her confidence? Her character? The way she spoke? The way she walked? God dammit Deimos, why is it so easy for you read a monster inside-out but such a chore to interpret simple human cues? Was Eros right when he said that I was interested in her? What was love or infatuation supposed to feel like anyway? And what kind of a name is Rhen? I have never heard of it before. And what was she implying when she commented on the way I treat my friends? I’m not that bad. Am I? All these questions bombarded the young man’s mind and he soon lost awareness of what he was doing. Before he knew it, his mouth was wide open, but his spoon was brushing against his cheek, leading the food downward onto the floor. The cold touch across his cheek woke him from the daydream, and he immediately saw Phobos judging him intently, with his right cheek muscle perked, straining his right eye and giving Deimos a look of disgust.

  
‘Shut up’, Deimos chuckled, wiping the food off the side of his face and picking up the food he dropped on the floor. He washed up the plates and cutlery, and laid down on the lower level of his double decker bed. He placed both his hands behind his head, between him and his pillow, as he allowed his aching muscles the rest they deserve while he worked his mind. Staring at the blank underside of the upper bed, he continued running the same questions through his mind, and just like the question he had been asking for the past 5 years, no answer seemed to come. He let out a soft sigh, turned to Phobos and said,

  
‘Good night buddy’, dosing off, and allowing his consciousness to be stolen into the cool, dark of night.


	2. Hunter becomes the Hunted

Deimos was sitting at the dining table having his usual breakfast of scrambled eggs. He was still in his daydream, asking the series of questions that hoarded his mind. He was going insane. Phobos was getting really irritated at his human’s sudden erratic behaviour that he let out a loud cry,

  
‘REEEEE...!’

  
‘Huh? What? What’s the matter Pho?’ Deimos stared at him, with genuine concern.

  
‘Reow!’ Phobos replied.

  
‘What do you mean? I’m here, eating with you, talking to you.’ Deimos defended.

  
‘Reow reow, meeeuuw!’

  
‘That’s nonsense, what do you mean I’m not myself.’ Deimos looked away, refusing to entertain the furball.

  
‘Feeeeeooooouuuuu!!!’

  
‘HEY! Watch your language! Fine, you wanna know what’s going through my mind? I met this girl yesterday named Rhen, and she intrigued me without me even knowing what being intrigued feels like. I didn’t even know it was possible for me to find anyone interesting, and now that I look at it, I don’t see anything about her that’s interesting. So, smart ass, maybe you have a solution for me?’ Deimos ranted.

  
‘Hee! Meow...!’ Phobos squealed in a high pitch, jumping with his paw shot up in the air.

  
‘I... what...? No, absolutely not.’ Deimos dismissed.

  
Phobos’ excitement was quickly shot down as he landed his furry butt back on the chair, pouting like a little child, refusing to finish his breakfast.

  
‘You’re... serious?’ Deimos shot a concerned look over his companion.

  
Phobos smiled at him and nodded with all strength and energy a little 15 kilogram palico had at his disposal.

  
‘Haiz... Fine... But only today, if I get nothing out of our conversation today, then I’m going to forget we ever met.’

  
‘Meow meow...’ Phobos mumbled, smirking to himself as he hopped off his seat.

  
‘Of course I will be able to forget it, have you forgotten how many girls I managed to turn down easily? Pfft, what do you know, you’re a bloody cat for god’s sake’, now it was Deimos’ turn to pout in his seat, with his arms folded.

  
This was not something Deimos was used to, interacting with other people. It was by no means difficult for him, but rather something he was not interested in. In fact, he was good at it, he knew how to talk his way around difficult situations, and even get people to do his bidding at times, but it was not something he wanted to take advantage of because there was something about human interaction that just bored him.

  
Deimos got into his usual hunting gear, and grabbed Phobos, resting him on his shoulders once again. They headed out of their bunk, and left for the parade square, where the rest of his platoon normally met up for their training.

  
‘So yesterday while I was taking my shower after dinner in the usual common bath, I sneezed so hard that the noodle I had for dinner came out of my nose and dangled out like a yellow rope. Instead of pulling it out, I ran out of the toilet and into the dormitory yelling to everyone saying there’s a huge worm coming out of my nose and everyone screamed! Hahahaha!’ a junior recruit shared with the rest of his platoon mates while waiting for their training officer to arrive to begin their training. Eros, Rhodes, and Rhen were there, and while Rhen was disgusted by the story, she found it amusing at how gross boys could be and let out an uncontrollable puff of air through her nose.

  
‘Aww dude, that’s disgusting and funny at the same time!’ another recruit replied.

  
‘Hey Eros, isn’t that the Deimos dude you’ve been telling us about?’ a curious recruit voiced out, changing the topic of the conversation.

  
‘Guys, that joke is getting old. I won’t turn my back on you guys for you to play another prank on me just because you mention his name for the thousandth time ok?’ Eros rolled his eyes while his right clenched fist supported the full weight of his slanted head.

  
‘Eros, I think Deimos is really here.’ Rhodes said, tapping his shoulder and looking behind him.

  
‘Really? You too? I didn’t expect you to stoop so low and join these immature recruits into pranking m-...’ before Eros could finish his sentence, Rhen extended her leg, and kicked him gently such that he tumbled backwards and was now lying on the floor, with his head upside down.

  
‘Just fucking look!’ she said as she kicked Eros.

  
Eros had a full view of Deimos now from his feet up to his unfamiliar upside down face now staring at him with his usual frown. Eros’ eyes lit up immediately and stood up, readjusting his focus, and ran up to Deimos with his arms extended. Before he could reach him to give him a hug, however, Deimos reached out his left hand and married it to Eros’ face.

  
‘Oww...’ Eros took a few steps back, rubbing his now reddened nose.

  
‘Yo! It’s so good to see you man! You finally decided to join us!’ Eros said as he expressed his genuinely joy of seeing his best friend for training in the military.

  
‘Uhh, well yeah, don’t get used it, I’ll only be here for one day.’ Deimos let out a quick but shakey and unsure response.

  
‘Ohh, what brings you over today then?’ Eros asked curiously.

  
‘It’s none of your business. Just brief me on what you guys are doing today.’ Deimos replied coldly.

  
‘Not so fast wonder boy’, the familiar intriguing voice sent chills down Deimos’ spine when the words reached his ears. ‘Tell all of us why you decided to come over today, or are your testicles too small to let us in on your little secret?’ Rhen was making Deimos extremely uncomfortable and he was not one bit happy about it.

  
‘Yes, they are tiny.’ Deimos replied confidently, and walked off.

  
The female recruits began giggling among themselves, especially those who found him attractive at first, were now having second thoughts. Of course, not every girl measures the worth of a man by his testicle size; I’m just trying to show a wide variety of women here. Eros looked at Rhen, both confused and a little upset saying,

  
‘Why did you do that? You know how rare it is for him to come over, and you putting him in the spot might make him not want to come back anymore! Why would you-...’ once again, Eros was interrupted, and Rhen replied,

  
‘Ahh he’ll be fine, and he’ll come back tomorrow’

  
‘What? How do you know?’

  
‘I just... know’, Rhen replied confidently while staring at Deimos, who was still creating distance between him and the group of hooligans.

  
So what if I said they were tiny? They are huge! Well, by my standards at least. I don’t care what they think about my balls anyway, and I am not going to say anything about why I’m here today. It’s embarrassing enough as it is, I don’t need to explain myself. Deimos was once again lost in his thoughts, frustrated at how the day started. He was beginning to feel the regret seeping in. His thoughts were severed when he felt an arm rest across his back and the feeling of five fingers struggling to wrap around his large right shoulder. He turned to his left and as quickly as he saw Eros’ face, he started hearing his voice,

  
‘Hey man, don’t worry about Rhen, she can be a bit... Tough, sometimes.’ At this, Deimos shot him a glare.

  
‘Uhh, I’m not trying to say that she’s tougher than you, I just mean that she can be, difficult, you know? And we all know your testicles are huge...’ a smile appeared on Deimos’ face the moment he heard that, before downing a cup of tea while facing away from Eros.

  
‘What I meant was, I uhh... I’m not very good at this am I...?’ Eros let out a sigh with blushed cheeks.

  
Deimos, now turned his face to look at Eros with the smile still on his face. He lifted his left hand to gently grabbed his chin, squeezing it slightly, and just as Eros was about to show signs of comfort in the grasp of his idol’s hand, Deimos gave him a swift and rather light slap across his face to wake him up before looking away again.

  
‘Hey!’ Eros, now agitated, rubbing his right hand over his violated right cheek.

  
While the pain slowly swelled on his right cheek, Eros was actually glad that he could see Deimos hold a smile for this long. It has been a long while since he witnessed any sign of positivity from this lonesome man. It made Eros smile just a little as well.

  
‘Ohh right, you wanted to know the training schedule for today? Uhh, from what was discussed yesterday, we will be doing a series of static exercises, and then we would run over to the obstacle course, and finally we are gonna be doing a bit of a quiz about monster behaviour. The three platoons will rotate among these three activities and...’ Deimos raised his left hand to stop Eros, and then opening his mouth, he asked,

  
‘And which platoon is Rhen in?’

  
‘Uhh, she’s in 2. I think...’ Eros replied nervously.

  
‘You think? Any way to make sure?’ Deimos said softly, turning his head slowly to look at Eros, but this time, the smile was gone from his face.

  
‘Uhh...’ Eros was prepared to get up and ask her when a female voice interjected.

  
‘Why not just ask her yourself?’ Rhen was now standing on Deimos’ right, with her hands on her broad hips and a cheeky grin on her face.

  
Deimos was about to respond but when he turned his head to face her, she was uncomfortably close to him. And before he could say anything, her belly button was in his face, causing him to open his eyes significantly larger while leaning further towards the table and away from this domineering figure. He quickly looked up, and decided to stand up to confront this tough cookie.

  
‘What platoon are you in?’ Deimos asked, now towering over Rhen who was around his chin level.

  
‘Why should I tell you?’ Rhen responded arrogantly.

  
Deimos chuckled and now had his hands around his waist as well. He leaned closer, at a certain depressed angle so that he closed the distance between his face and hers.

  
‘Well I was just asking, if you don’t want to tell me that’s fine, I have other ways of finding out.’ Deimos replied.

  
‘Tell you what, arm wrestle me. If you win, I’ll tell you what platoon I’m in, and if I win, you have to tell everyone why you decided to come today. Deal?’

  
Is this girl for real? Even Eros’ eyes enlarged larger than a Pukei-Pukei’s; and those reptiles have huge eyes. Her arms were at least three times smaller than mine, how was she hoping to... Nope, nevermind that, there was clearly something she was hiding that nobody knew about which gave her this amount of confidence to challenge one of the strongest individuals in camp to an arm wrestle. Deimos’ thoughts began racing through his mind, logic and reason seemed to miss every conclusion that could ever be deemed as possible. He didn’t enjoy being outplayed, much less embarrassed. He had a reputation to keep, and announcing the size of his testicles was nowhere near as humiliating as losing an arm wrestle to a girl! As if that wasn’t bad enough, he still had to explain himself to everyone as to why he came here, how was he gonna...

  
*Snap* ‘Hello?! Why are you taking so long to think about my offer? Surely your ‘guns’ can take on this small helpless girl no?’ Rhen was adding to the pressure by snapping her fingers only a few centimetres away from Deimos’ face and taunting him.

  
‘I, uhh...’ Deimos began feeling his body temperature rise, and he has not felt his body palpitate this rigorously since the first time he set foot into the arena with that Great Jagras. A sweat droplet formed on the left side of his temple, and it trickled down slowly, caressing his smooth tan cheeks.

  
‘You know nobody will say anything if you refuse, you could always give them the excuse that your arms are aching from all the pull-ups you were doing yesterday, or you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, or that your palico friend was scratching your arms throughout the night, or...’ Rhen was interrupted by a firm reply from Deimos.

  
‘Ok fine, I’ll wrestle you’

  
The room fell silent, as everyone began worrying for the safety of Rhen, I mean there was no guessing the outcome of this arm wrestle, she was going to get destroyed. Rhen smirked the moment she heard Deimos agree to her challenge, which led to her not saying a single word, or moving a single muscle, but she just stood there, glaring at him.

  
Deimos was really not enjoying this moment, and he gulped a mouthful of saliva to clear his throat before speaking,

  
‘So uhh, let’s do it here?’

  
And as if holding on to a bad joke to herself, Rhen suddenly broke out of her character into a loud resounding laughter. Her hands now clasped around her abdomen.

  
‘Is something funny?’ Deimos asked, starting to get annoyed.

  
‘Did you really think I was going to arm wrestle you? You!? Please dude, I still value my life and I still have a long life ahead of me, I don’t wish to spend my final moments in this shithole. I just wanted to see how you would react.’ Rhen exclaimed as she punched Deimos’ right arm, with significant force, I might add. She turned her back and walked away leaving the whole room still in shock, and just before she exited the room, she raised her index and middle finger while cupping her fourth and pinkie finger with her thumb.

  
Deimos was left standing in the middle of the room, still frozen in shock, with the sweat bead now making its way down his neck and on to his upper chest. Eros was still behind him, also in shock, when he broke the silence saying,

  
‘Some girl huh!’

  
‘Yeah... Some girl...’ Deimos replied, rubbing his right bicep where Rhen punched him.

  
Deimos was having a rough day so far, and the day had hardly even begun, but for some reason, he didn’t hate it, yet. He was still in some manner, intrigued by how Rhen was able to speak to him in ways that left him off-guard. He was both unsettled and curious at the same time, but he was determined to make the most out of today. He set himself on this path, he might as finish it.

  
He followed platoon 2 throughout the day, and made sure he paid close attention to Rhen. The first station that platoon 2 went to was the obstacle course. Deimos ran through the obstacle course a million times and was extremely familiar with it. It involved different terrains that test the hunter’s strength, agility, and wit. All of which, Deimos mastered pretty much flawlessly. However, since he was no high-ranking official, the only way he was able to follow the platoon was to join them in their exercise. So he quickly coursed through the obstacles with ease.

  
First obstacle in his way was a bunch of heavy ropes secured tightly at the top and the bottom, where only the middle could be moved to some extent. Many of such ropes were tied together to simulate dense vines in the forest. These thick ropes provide very heavy resistance and can get taxing on one’s strength if they exert too much direct force. Deimos knew this, and while his arms provided him with the strength required, he didn’t need them. Instead, he turned his body at an angle, to try and slide between the ropes as much as he could. Why face the resistance when you can avoid it altogether.

  
The second obstacle tested that of agility. A series of loops were located on the ceiling of an empty hallway, and a deep drop was seen in the middle of this hollow space. The bottom was cushioned, to prevent injury, but the only way to get across, was by utilising the slingshot mechanism that every hunter is equipped with. The mechanism included a small pulley system which had a hook connected to a rope that could be fired and latched unto. This was a simple yet challenging task because some inexperienced hunters who carried a lot of weight would lose momentum and not be able to make the final jump across the last loop. Deimos once again had learned from this, and this was where he learned to travel light. Most of his weight was actually from his own body mass, which he frankly could not do much about. Swinging a 90 kilogram weight (don’t forget our dear 15 kilogram Phobos on Deimos’ shoulders) on a single rope resulted in significant tension across his left forearm, Deimos therefore devised a strategy that used momentum, which minimised the duration in which his left arm would be connected to the loops. This really helped him relieve the stress on his left arm. This exercise was to get hunters accustomed to the wedge beetles found in the wild, where speed and agility could be a matter of life and death.

  
The third and final obstacle tested a hunter’s wit and resourcefulness. There would be a wall that was too high to climb, and too thick for any weapon to pierce. This wall could only be taken down by a creature of significant size. Most hunters knew that, and learnt that skill from a very early stage. What hunters also learned was that a similar effect could be replicated when using explosives. But what many did not know was the explosive potential needed, could only be obtained when mixing gunpowder with a very rare mushroom called Devil’s Blight, only then could the wall be penetrated. Most of the explosives which contained only gunpowder were ineffective at bringing down the wall, and the many failures taught Deimos this valuable lesson. This obstacle course was there to train hunters the importance of environmental awareness, as well as providing yourself with options when in a fight with a large monster. Instead of waiting or luring the monster to hit an obstacle for you, take matters into your own hands and decide your own fate.

  
Deimos was proud of himself for figuring out all of these obstacle secrets, and he breezed through every single one of them as if they were child’s play. As soon as he got to the end point, which provided him with a vantage point, he quickly turned back and tried to get a view of Rhen, wanting to see how she faired with the obstacle course that took him about 2 years to master. But as soon as he turned around, Rhen was already halfway through the second course! What? How was she doing this? He saw her nimbly jumping from loop to loop like a natural, seeing that her other platoon mates were still struggling with the ropes in the first obstacle. Before long, she was at the final obstacle, and to no surprise she grabbed the gunpowder and loaded it into an empty barrel. Hah! Let’s see you get outta this one, he thought to himself. And then she took the most surprising ingredient on the table; a gunpowderfish scale. What on earth is she doing? She crushed the scales into a fine silver powder, added it into the barrel containing the gunpowder, lit the barrel and threw it at the wall. The explosion was so loud, he could hear it crystal clear from his vantage point, and he could even see the debris of the wall flying across to the starting line near the first obstacle.

  
Deimos was impressed, shocked, and irritated all at the same time. Emotions were riling within him, systems and gears that were dormant suddenly woke up and began fuelling a mixture of feelings that he could not manage. What irritated him the most was how affected he was at the fact that she was that good. Maybe it was due to the bruising of his pride. Even he wasn’t sure. Suddenly out of nowhere, he felt a soft hand rest on his right shoulder, immediately causing him to fall to his left, reacting just in time to break his fall with his left elbow now resting on the ground.

  
‘You ok, wonder boy? Sorry I startled you’ Rhen who was now standing beside him.

  
Deimos shot himself up from that humiliating position and sat up straight again replying quickly,

  
‘Yeah, I’m fine, of course I’m ok. You didn’t startle me, I just wasn’t expecting you and my body reacted to a sudden touch, that’s all’, he couldn’t think, and words just fell out of his mouth in a mess.

  
‘Umm, yeah dummy, that’s kinda what being startled means.’ Rhen laughed, as she sat down next to Deimos.

  
Deimos let out a deep sigh, and placed his left hand over his face in shame. What was happening to him? Why was he reacting so strangely in front of Rhen? What was it about her? He couldn’t figure out. Well of course the best way to clear things up was to just ask her directly the questions that filled his mind all day. But why would he do that, he hardly knew her. But it was a good time to ask since they were alone. URRGHHH!! Deimos’ hand on his face slowly slid upwards to his hair. He grabbed it and tugged at it just a little, shifting his scalp ever so slight across his skull.

  
‘Hey tough guy, you don’t have to pretend you’re ok all the time you know. You’re allowed to not be ok. Wanna talk about it?’ Rhen once again broke the silence, seeing as Deimos was about to create a bald patch on his head if she didn’t stop him.

  
‘Uhh... Yes... I mean, no...’

  
‘Reeeoww!’ Phobos screeched as he slapped Deimos’ left cheek with his paw.

  
‘Oww! What was that for?’

  
‘I think even your buddy over there thinks you should talk about it. Come on, spill it.’

  
Deimos felt cornered, on one hand he did wish he had someone to talk to, well other than Phobos of course. But on the other hand, he was not comfortable in letting another person into his life. He couldn’t. The memory of the pain of losing his mother always came back to haunt him, and seeing that he probably would not survive if Phobos left before him, he would be mad to invite any more loved ones into his already broken life. He didn’t want it, and he wouldn’t have it. He refused.

  
Rhen reached out her hand and held on to his right hand, and the moment Deimos felt her soft hands, he immediately tried to break free from the physical contact.

  
‘Tsk, stop being a little pussy and give me your hand.’ Rhen slapped his hand, like a mother disciplining her child.

  
Deimos felt compelled to listen to her. He couldn’t believe what was happening, she turned his hand so that his palm faced up with one of her hands supporting it below, and she started using the index finger of her other hand to trace the faint lines that were still visible to the trained eye. She was mumbling to herself, and Deimos found himself entranced by her. He had no clue what she was doing, until she suddenly stopped tracing with her index finger, placed the whole hand such that the two hands fit nicely in an interlocked position. She smiled still looking at his hands, before seeing a tear form in her eye as she looked up at him and said,

  
‘You poor thing’, and without warning, she threw herself onto Deimos, giving him a sincere hug.

  
Deimos was dumbfounded, he didn’t know how to react. He hasn’t had direct physical contact for many years, especially not from a girl. He was left frozen, with his hand still locked in position, until Rhen helped guide his hands to embrace her around her neck. She felt the warmth radiating off of Deimos’ body, and was extremely comfortable in his embrace. Deimos could not break from the hug as much as his mind was telling him to do so. This round, his heart seemed to have won the battle. The moment she felt his heartbeat race, she ended the hug so as to not overstay her welcome.

  
He stared at Rhen, who was now looking at Deimos’ face, and said,

  
‘Good, I like men who are in touch with their feminine side’ she chuckled.

  
‘What?’ Deimos responded in a partly cracked voice as he started to feel a tear running down both his cheeks. He realised what she was referring to, and quickly wiped them away, hoping that she could pretend that she never saw them. After a few awkward moments of silence, Deimos looked at his right hand and asked,

  
‘So what exactly were you doing?’

  
‘I was palm reading’, Rhen said, looking back down at the obstacle course, seeing that only half her platoon has made it through the first obstacle course. They had time.

  
‘Palm reading? What exactly can you hope to read from my palms?’

  
‘My dear, everything you’ve ever accomplished in your life, was through the hard work and labour of your hands. Every good or bad deed, was done through your hands, and it always leaves a mark.’ Rhen continued, ‘ever heard of the phrase “the universe is in the palm of your hands”? We palm readers take that phrase quite literally’.

  
‘I see’, Deimos responded, still trying to show as little sign of emotion as possible. ‘So what exactly did you see?’

  
‘Ohh...’ it was obvious that Rhen was contemplating what information she should disclose at this point in time, and after a few seconds she replied,

  
‘I know about your mother, I know about your father. I know how difficult it has been the past 5 years for you and your furry friend over there...’ before Rhen could continue, Deimos interrupted,

  
‘Phobos, his name is Phobos’, he said while turning away from her to look at the horizon.

  
Rhen smiled, she could finally begin to see this man for who he is. She stopped herself, refusing to ruin the moment. The two sat there for a little while more, in each other’s silent company, exchanging no words. After a minute which seemed like forever, Deimos stood up, and looked at Rhen saying,

  
‘We should head back’.

  
It was around dinner time, and Deimos decided to take a shower before eating his dinner. All he cared about when he was in his bunk was getting comfortable; it was something he could only enjoy in the privacy of his quarters. With that in mind, he didn’t even bother putting on clothes after his bath, and so he came out of the bathroom with a towel, and he sat down at the dining table. He caught a glimpse of Phobos, who was judging him once again about his primitive attire at the dinner table.

  
‘Eat... Your... Food...’ Deimos responded with a slow, stern voice and enlarged pupils to show that he was serious. Then out of nowhere came a knock on his door, he was puzzled for he was not expecting any visitors, especially since most of the recruits went home after their training, almost nobody stayed in the bunks. He got up, thinking it was just a prank, and opened the door. To his surprise, standing in front of him was Rhen, and he was butt-ass naked with nothing but a towel round his waist, greeting his guest.

  
‘Umm...’ Deimos tried very hard but failed at hiding his now blushed face.

  
‘Hey! Do mind if I join you?’ Rhen said calmly as if the perfectly toned naked body that was standing in front of her was no distraction to her at all. She said it with a straight face, keeping her eyes locked with Deimos’.

  
‘Uhh, yeah sure...’ Deimos moved aside to give her space to enter. He hated that every single thing that she did caught him off-guard, so much so that he never knew how to respond appropriately. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was the prey.

  
‘Umm... Let me put some clothes on’, Deimos muttered as he turned towards the bathroom.

  
‘I don’t mind you without any on, if it makes you more comfortable.’ Rhen said casually as she sat beside Phobos, now scratching the underside of his chin, his right foot kicking in ecstasy.

  
Deimos was once again frozen in his tracks and a blush appeared on his face. What the hell was going on? He felt violated in his own home! What did she mean she didn’t mind me without any clothes? I was comfortable without them, sure, but not in the presence of another person! Wait, if the choice were so clear, why am I standing still even thinking about it? This thought process went on for longer than Deimos realised, which resulted in Rhen losing her patience.

  
‘What is up with you today huh? Stoning all the damn time. Come and sit down!’ she went over to Deimos and grabbed his muscular forearm, dragging him back to the dining table and sat him down across from her. Deimos looked down at his food, and looked up across the table to see Rhen staring contently at his eyes, once again not distracted by his muscular form. He tried very hard to ignore her stare and continue eating, but he couldn’t do it and put down his spoon, looking up at her again saying,

  
‘Umm... So what brings you over? Aren’t you going home?’

  
‘I am home. I live on camp too.’ Rhen responded very naturally and comfortably.

  
‘Ohh really? Why don’t you go home to your family?’

  
‘Same reason as you.’ Rhen said with a smile on her face.

  
‘So your mum passed away 5 years ago and you grew up not knowing your dad so now you have no family left, no place to call home and no choice but to stay in this slum?’ The words came to Deimos’ mouth so quickly that he said them out without thinking, only realising what he had said when it was too late. He looked up quickly to see Rhen’s face expecting anger and disgust, but only to find her still smiling and said,

  
‘Dad, actually. My dad passed on 5 years ago as well, and my mum 3 years ago. I was not as unfortunate as you to have never known my father, but it did come at a cost; I had to endure the grief twice within the span of 5 years. I would say we’re even.’

  
‘I... I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to...’

  
Rhen raised her hand, ‘No need to apologise, it’s all good.’

  
Deimos didn’t feel comfortable and wanted to steer away from this conversation topic as quickly as possible.

  
‘So, using gunpowderfish scales, who would’ve thought that would work?’

  
‘I did’, Rhen said giving a friendly grin.

  
Deimos rolled his eyes, regretting he ever brought it up. Nonetheless, he was curious to know how and where she picked up her skills from.

  
‘You’ve done the obstacle course before? You seemed oddly familiar with it today.’ Deimos brought a spoon full of food into his mouth immediately after verbalising the statement.

  
‘Neh, the course itself was my first time. The tricks were nothing new though.’ Rhen shrugged arrogantly. She looked over at Deimos who now had his left eyebrow raised, giving her the cue to explain herself.

  
‘Well, I was originally from the research team, and while I appreciated the deep pool of knowledge available there, the lack of adventure was boring me. So a lot of what you saw me do was based off theory, but you can bet your ass that I will only get better from here on!’  
A smile emerged unconsciously on Deimos’ face; he was impressed by this girl’s confidence and dedication, if only the rest of the hunters in the military possessed that kind of commitment. And getting better than she was today? She was already brilliant! Any better and she would probably replace him in no time for the best hunter in the unit.

  
‘Hey wonder boy, you still with us?’ Rhen began snapping her fingers once again to regain Deimos’ attention.

  
‘Ohh yeah, sorry.’

  
‘If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you’re having a crush on me.’ Rhen began teasing.

  
‘Yeah... AHH...! I mean...’ Deimos stumbled on his words as his mind wondered someplace else.

  
‘Haha, it looks like your mind is preoccupied. I shall leave you to your thoughts then. Thanks for allowing me to stay. You boys have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Rhen got up and showed herself out, shutting the door behind her. Phobos was already dozing off, and was now dangling off his seat drooling. Deimos was really flustered by everything that has happened to him today. He stared at Phobos, but the image in his mind looked nothing like what his eyes were projecting to his brain. All he could think about was Rhen. Not physically, no, but rather emotionally, and how she made him feel and react.

  
After he put Phobos to bed, he went over to the sink to wash the dishes. While he was doing so, one of the questions he asked the night before popped in his head again: ‘was I interested in her?’ And Deimos really felt lost in this matter because he had never been in this situation before. As he lowered the plate he was washing, he noticed himself staring downward toward his crotch area which was still thoroughly covered by his bath towel. He had an idea of a little test he could do, so he closed his eyes, and pictured Rhen in his mind. Nothing too wild, just her, focusing his attention on the details that were distinct; her chest, her hair, her arms, her hips. After about a minute or so, he turned around to check the bunk to see if anyone unsuspecting was watching, because you never know nowadays, before he undid the knot on his bath towel to reveal just a slight portion of his groin where his member sat comfortably. He looked at it, and... Nothing. It remained flaccid, and he just looked up and dismissed how stupid an experiment that was.

  
He finished the dishes and went to prepare for bed. This day offered him more questions than answers, and Deimos felt like he was nowhere nearer to finding the answers that he seeked. Or so he thought...


	3. The Squad

‘So, as all of you know, the Fifth fleet will depart for Astera tomorrow. Every hunter here should be paired with a handler, and it is the responsibility of the two of you to look out for each other. Understood?’

  
‘Yes Sir!’ an orchestrated response came from the unit to their commanding officer.

  
‘Ahh, look who decided to grace us with his presence this morning’, everyone looking to the back of room as Deimos entered dressed with his hunting gear and Phobos on this shoulder as always.

  
‘Hey! He really did come today!’ Eros said elbowing Rhen in her side.

  
‘Told ya!’ Rhen said, returning the elbow jab right into Eros’ abdomen, causing him to whine in pain.

  
Eros’ was rubbing his abdomen as he said to Rhen, ‘Hey, I just realised you’re a girl’.

  
‘Ohh, what gave it away?’ Rhen said sarcastically.

  
‘Tsk, no no, what I meant was, I just realised that you were a female hunter!’ Eros said as his eyes began to light up.

  
‘Uhh huh... And...?’ Rhen was trying very hard to connect the dots that were created by this imbecile.

  
‘Well, most female recruits end up becoming handlers. You may be the only female hunter we have in our unit! That’s so cool!’ Eros said with a sparkle in his eye.

  
‘Haha, you’re not a hard person to please Eros. You’re so cute.’ Rhen pinched his right cheek as she said it.

  
‘Hey! That hurts!’ Eros trying to brush her hand away.

  
‘So, who’s Deimos’ handler?’ Rhen initiated, looking at him still standing by the door with his hands by his side.

  
‘Ohh Deimos doesn’t have a handler. He says he works better alone and doesn’t want anyone in his way. Besides, any handler who wants to get paired with him are usually only doing it because he’s attractive, they don’t really have much chemistry between them. And you gotta have chemistry! Right Rhodes?’ Eros was now leaning over to Rhodes, putting his arms around her neck.

  
‘Don’t touch me, you’re filthy.’ Rhodes responded quickly, pushing his face away, causing him to fall back beside Rhen.

  
‘Haha! Yeah, great chemistry you two.’ Rhen laughed.

  
Chemistry, huh? I think Deimos and I have pretty good chemistry, Rhen thought to herself. And as if on cue, she tuned back in to the commanding officer’s briefing,

  
‘So who would like to take Deimos as her hunter?’

  
‘Sir! I thought we agreed that...’ Deimos’ challenge across the room was broken by a higher pitch response coming from the middle of the room followed by a visual cue of a raised hand.

  
‘I’ll be his partner!’ Rhen said without hesitation.

  
‘You are not a handler, put your bloody hand down!’ the officer shouted.

  
Rhen persisted keeping her hand in the air, ‘Well, since I don’t see any other hands up, you might as well pick me. Besides, I’m probably the only one in the room that can handle that big boy over there.’ she turned over to catch Deimos at the corner of her eye and winked at him.

  
Unbelievable, why does she always do this? Putting me in the spot like that. Deimos could never find the words to rebut or counter Rhen for some odd reason. He hated the lack of control he had over the situation, but he decided to allow it to play out this one time. As a result, he ended up rolling his eyes once again, and crossed his arms over his chest, allowing the group to decide his fate.

  
‘So? Sir? Deimos isn’t saying anything, so I guess he’s ok with me. We all have to compromise a little don’t we?’ Rhen now turned and gave the officer a convincing smile.

  
‘Fine. You two will be paired for the time being.’

  
Rhen projected a look of accomplishment across her face, while the room was filled with mixed reactions. Eros, for one, was really happy that Deimos was finally paired with someone.

  
‘So, carrying on with the briefing. We are leaving camp at 0800 hours, and making our way over to Argosy Port. From there, we will board the ships and make our way to Astera. Bring whatever essentials you need, and nothing more. We are not going on holiday, ladies and gentlemen. Today’s training has also been cancelled, for you spend the day with your families and say your goodbyes. Of course you may always return, but nothing is guaranteed, I won’t lie to you. Make the most of this day. Dismissed!’ the officer turned his back and left the room.

  
The room was now bustling and everyone was getting ready to head back home to spend time with their family. The four friends, Deimos, Eros, Rhen and Rhodes found an empty table and sat down. As you would’ve guessed, Deimos was dragged over by Rhen to join them.

  
‘So guys! What do you wanna do today? We’re free the whole day’ Rhen asked.

  
‘Anything is fine! I’ll probably head back in the evening to get ready, but I can spend the rest of the day with my best friends!’ Eros replied, adding a little positivity to the atmosphere around them.

  
‘I’m cool with anything.’ Rhodes responded, while still studying her notes.

  
Rhen and Eros looked over at Deimos, waiting for an answer. Deimos just glared at them, placed both his hands on the table, attempting to push himself up and leave. Before he could do so, Rhen placed her hands on his now bent elbows and stared right into his eyes saying,

  
‘Nuh uhh... You’re not going anywhere hot shot.’

  
Deimos returned with a threatening glare before opening his mouth saying,

  
‘Get your hands off me’

  
‘Make me’ Rhen replied, now a smile appearing on her face.

  
Deimos tried to overpower her, but to no avail. She was standing up while he was still sitting down. He was practically stuck. So he decided to relax his arms, causing Rhen to lose balance and fall toward Deimos’ face, pushing him off his seat. Deimos’ muscular back broke the fall with ease, but his body did not expect another weight to come crashing down on his ribcage. Even his ripped abs could not withstand the sudden impact of a full body weight.

  
‘Oooff...!’ He let out a soft groan of pain, shutting his eyes.

  
When he opened them, he was greeted by two bulging sacs that were too close to his face. Rhen fell on Deimos’ top and she was unknowingly burying his face in her narrow cleavage. She was still regaining consciousness while Deimos was already wide awake, but was stunned by the bosoms present before him. Rhen pushed herself up with one hand on her forehead, and the other hand on Deimos’ right chest for support. He could feel her tender, soft hand against his firm chest, and didn’t really know what to think of it, but he wanted them off immediately. Now her full body weight rested back on his abs and she sat on him for about a minute to restore her balance.

  
‘Please get off.’ Deimos said.

  
‘Huh? Ohh! Sorry!’ his words sped up Rhen’s waking up process and she tumbled quickly to her side to free Deimos from the awkward position. The whole room was looking at them, and once again a mixture of jealous and disgusted looks spread around the faces of the different recruits. Even some guys were shooting suggestive looks at the pair.

  
‘Looks like the new pair are really hitting things off quickly!’ a random comment was heard from a recruit in the crowd. A soft laughter emerged from that area, and the room went about their own conversations, pretending nothing happened.

  
Deimos got up and sat back down at the table, to a very cheeky Eros now staring at him with glistening eyes and a very uncomfortable smile on his face.

  
‘What?’ Deimos said while stroking his now tensed up abs with his left hand after the stress it just experienced. Eros didn’t say anything, continuing to give Deimos that suggestive look and begun raising his eyebrows at him. Deimos started getting irritated and raised his right hand, in a motion that was about to hit Eros, and that was when Eros broke out of the smirk and raised his hands once again to cover his face.

  
‘AHHH ok! I’m sorry, don’t hit meee!!’

  
Deimos laughed as he lowered his hand. As Eros heard the laughter, he lowered his guard. There it is! That same smile he saw yesterday, it was back! Eros really relished in seeing Deimos with a smile on his face, it really made him look like a totally different person. He wanted Deimos to be happy, and would do anything to make that happen.

  
Deimos knew that he did not really treat Eros well when he should. Eros was always this bubbly little chap that brightened the mood wherever he went, and he never let Deimos dampen his spirits. But while he admired how happy Eros is, he can overstep his boundaries at times and appear to be insensitive. Deimos always struggled with his relationship with Eros, where on one hand he appreciates Eros as a friend, but he also doesn’t see how someone with his kind of persona could ever be compatible with a serious individual like Deimos. But at least for now, he found himself able to enjoy the moment, and he’ll take whatever he can.

  
Rhen returned shortly, her arms forming a circle locked by her two hands, and supporting a mountain of food. She bent down such that her makeshift tray was on level with the table, and slid it towards the 3 of them.

  
‘Lunch is served guys!’

  
Everyone helped her unload the food she got and started eating.

  
While everyone was busy eating, Rhen decided to break the ice with her newfound friends. Turning to Rhodes, she asked,

  
‘So, Rhodey, how did you get your name? And what does it mean?’

  
Rhodes was startled that Rhen initiated a conversation with her. She put down her book and responded,

  
‘Ohh, Rhode was the daughter of Helios, the Sun God. And she was named after an island that was raised from the sea by Helios himself.’ Rhodes told her story with excitement.

  
‘Ok, interesting. But why did your parents name you after that Goddess?’ Rhen questioned.

  
‘Ohh, they believed that truth is not absolute, and that you formulate your own truths. Something that may seem true to one person may be false to another. And so just like the island Helios created for himself, truth, is something we all have to find ourselves and not just take what people tell us as gospel.’ Rhodes replied confidently.

  
‘Is that why you keep reading your hunter notes? What truths are you trying to find in there?!’ Eros hijacked excitedly.

  
‘Nothing you will understand unfortunately.’ Rhodes replied.

  
‘And how about you, Rhen? You have a very unusual name.’ Rhodes rebounded the question.

  
‘Haha, it’s unusual because no such deity exists with this name unfortunately. It is a result of mixed cultures.’ Rhen said as she looked down at her plate, playing with her food.

  
‘Mixed culture? So one of your parents was from the East?’ Rhodes inferred.

  
‘Yeah! My dad was from the East. And though the names that were given to their entities differed from the culture here, what the deities represent were not so different from what you guys know. Chen, was his name, and...’

  
Rhen looked over to Deimos who was now looking at her with a little concerned look on his face. She smiled and turning back to Rhodes, she continued,

  
‘... and it was the name of their God that represented the Sun, Moon and Stars.’

  
She paused to fit a spoonful of food into her mouth, talking and chewing at the same time, ‘My mother, was from around here, and her name was Rhea, that should be a Goddess that you guys are familiar with. And so the two fell in love, and had me! And they decided to give me a name that would symbolise unity in itself, and they came up with Rhen. Since Rhea was a personification of the Earth and Chen was the representation of the universe, Rhen seemed as quite a fitting name to represent unity don’t you think?’ Rhodes was in awe after hearing this story, and stared at Rhen with nothing but admiration in her eyes. Eros too, was very intrigued by the story, but mainly because he has never met someone from the East before. Rhen sneaked Deimos another look, and saw that he was occupied with his food, and so she threw the ball at Eros next.

  
‘So, cutey! What’s your story?’

  
At that sound, both Eros and Deimos looked up at her. Rhen couldn’t contain her laughter and she burst out uncontrollably. Deimos and Eros exchanged confused looks, and looked back at Rhen, waiting for a response.

  
Pointing at Eros, Rhen said ‘Him, him, I was talking to him’, wiping a tear from her eye from laughing too hard.

  
Deimos let out a soft ‘pfft’, and looked back down at his food.

  
Eros was blushing now, and he placed his right hand behind his neck and said,

  
‘Uhh, there’s no story... Deimos, how about...’

  
‘Nuhh uhh uhh, not so fast pip squeak, you didn’t think I will let you off that easily. Come on, everyone has a story, tell it!’ Rhen insisted.

  
Deimos raised his head and looked at Eros, who was also looking straight at him. Deimos was giving him a rather soft look this time, no frown on his face, as if telling Eros that it was ok to share. Eros realised that the room was mostly empty by now, and so he let out a sigh and began talking,

  
‘Fine. Well Eros is the God of Sex...’

  
Rhode’s spoon dropped on the table making a loud thump, Rhen’s jaw dropped, causing food to drop out of her mouth and back on her plate. Deimos, however, sat completely still with his elbows rested on the table and two hands cupped together supporting his chin, still staring at Eros with non-judgemental eyes. Eros continued,

  
‘Well, I didn’t really know who my parents were. I was raised an orphan. And while I never knew who my parents were, it didn’t really bother me because my adopted parents were wonderful people. Very modest and simple, I was loved.’

  
Eros’ voice began to crack a little, and Deimos could sense that it was difficult for him to talk about this. He knew how it felt. Eros’ continued,

  
‘I don’t know why I was given this name, but once again, my adopted parents helped me see the good in this cruel world, and thought me many valuable lessons. Like how...’ Rhodes regrettably interrupted Eros saying,

  
‘Hold on, isn’t Eros also the God of Love?’

  
‘Yeah, I was about to say that my parents told me to focus on that part instead. And it has really helped me get to where I am now. I mean, I’m just so grateful to be surrounded by people who love me, even though I was brought into the world by people who didn’t. But it doesn’t really matter right? You make do with what you’re given!’ Eros once again attempted to lift the mood of the table. And while he did not succeed, his intentions were not taken for granted this time. He looked over to Deimos, who surprisingly, still hadn’t flinched the whole time and was still maintaining his gaze.

  
Rhodes placed her right hand on Eros’ left shoulder and said compassionately,

  
‘I’m sorry, I never knew.’

  
‘That was the point, there’s no need to know all these bad things. I wanna focus only on the good things from now on. Like you guys!’ at this, Deimos stopped fighting the resistance within him and got up, grabbed Eros by the collar and threw him against his chest and embraced him tightly. Perhaps a little too tightly, because Eros was now having difficulty breathing while being crushed in the chest by his overbearing arms. Deimos closed his eyes and focused on giving the boy the warmth that he felt he so desperately needed after all these years. Eros’ face was now buried in Deimos’ cloth that he wore round his neck, which had a strange masculine smell to it. He shut his eyes to enjoy the rare direct contact between his hands and Deimos’ contoured back. He felt at home, feeling Deimos’ strong and slow athletic heartbeat through his own chest, while his was beating significantly faster. The two held the embrace for a while until,

  
‘Hey, aren’t you gonna give me a hug too? My story’s pretty sad you know!’ Rhen ruined the moment. Deimos opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, and shifted his hands to place it on Eros’ shoulders such that he could look him in the eyes, which were tearing a little bit at this point. He gave him a comforting smile, which disappeared quickly as he turned towards Rhen and said,

  
‘No.’

  
Deimos sat back down turning his attention back to his food.

  
‘Pfft, anyway thanks for sharing little guy! But before we move on to our wonder boy over here, I can’t help but wonder if...’ Rhen was a little shy to ask this, which was weird because this girl was never shy to say anything.

  
‘If...?’ Eros asked curiously.

  
‘You know, God of Sex and all, are you...’ Rhen was still struggling to find the appropriate words.

  
Eros was now making funny faces trying to decipher what in the world Rhen was trying to ask him. Deimos was quickly irritated with this exchange, and looked up at Eros saying directly,

  
‘She’s trying to ask you if you’re good in bed.’

  
A smile immediately appeared on Rhen’s face, showing a little teeth as she started pointing at Deimos happily, and then pointing at Eros, urging him to answer the question.

  
‘Ohh, sex. Right, umm...’ Eros’ face started to blush once again.

  
‘So? So?’ Rhen couldn’t hold back her excitement.

  
‘Enough.’ Deimos spoke up. ‘Can’t you see he doesn’t want to talk about it? Lets...’

  
Eros raised his hand to stop Deimos while he turned towards Rhen,

  
‘No it’s alright, I can answer the question.’ Eros cleared his throat and revaluated his thoughts before speaking again,

  
‘I never had sex before.’

  
Rhen and Rhode turned to each other and started giggling. Deimos suddenly became defensive and blurted out without thinking,

  
‘What’s so funny about that? I never had sex before either. It’s no big deal.’

  
When Deimos said this, the giggling stopped and the two girls’ face of laughter slowly turned to faces of concern.

  
‘What? It really isn’t a big deal. It’s not as if you girls had sex before.’ Deimos said trying to defend the guys at the table.

  
‘Ohh no, you don’t get to throw that back at us tough guy’ Rhen replied confidently.

  
‘We girls are allowed to be virgins at our age. In fact, it is a privilege to remain as one. Don’t get us wrong’, Rhen now turning towards Eros, ‘there’s nothing wrong with being a virgin, it’s just that...’

  
Deimos interrupted, clearly getting agitated by this conversation,

  
‘Just that what?’

  
‘Relax, big guy, I’m getting to it. It’s just that you two are decent-looking guys, decent build’, Rhen actually turned to Deimos as she said this with raised eyebrows and now actually scanning him with her eyes from top to bottom, ‘and I speak for the two of us when I say that we’re just surprised that you two never had bedroom action before! That’s all.’

  
Deimos still seemed a little irritated by that response, and looked over to Eros who was still looking as innocent as ever, he slowly mustered a small smirk on his face as he replied,

  
‘Ohh, that’s what you meant haha. Yeah, I guess I just haven’t really met a person worth “doing it” with.’ Eros said this looking down at the table.

  
‘Really? Ok, so what’s your ideal type then?’ Rhen asked while Rhodes nodded in agreement to her question.

  
‘Uhh... My... type?’ Eros was showing clear signs of discomfort as he began to sweat.

  
Deimos was actually curious as well, and turned his attention to Eros, who was now pressured by three eager pair of eyes waiting for his response.

  
Eros gave Deimos a quick glance, and he panicked a little when he realised Deimos was staring at him again. He quickly looked away and back at the ladies, giving them a reply,

  
‘Well I guess my ideal type is someone tall?’

  
‘Uhh huh, ok good start. What else?’ Rhen pushed.

  
‘Tan...?’

  
‘Whoo... You like the sporty type, interesting. Carry on!’

  
‘Umm... Broad shoulders?’ Eros stumbled and gave a stupid answer.

  
‘Broad shoulders? The fuck? Did you mean broad chest and big boobs?’ Rhen turned to a now laughing Rhodes, and she joined her. After they were done laughing, Rhen turned to Deimos and said,

  
‘Eros is basically trying to find a female version of you! Haha!’

  
Deimos didn’t find this funny at all, feeling upset that the other two ladies were laughing at the innocent boy when he was sharing something extremely personal. He knew how hard it was opening up, and he hated it when people were insensitive. He then turned his gaze back to Eros who was a little embarrassed by this whole ordeal. Eros was used to people laughing at him, but this situation was clearly uncomfortable for him, so he mustered the courage to throw the baton to Deimos, as he turned to him saying,

  
‘So uhh, how about you Deimos? Tell us more about how you got your name’

  
Deimos was a little apprehensive about sharing his personal life but Phobos was not. That fur ball immediately jumped in the middle of the table, and started doing this absurd dance while making gibberish cat noises that no one but Deimos could understand.

  
‘Meow meow meow, meeeeeeeeeuu, REEEEEEOW, Mee mee, ooooeeewww, oeeww...’ Then he stopped, as if to think and recall the events of his life, before continuing,

  
‘Heoww heoww, ree ree, mueow, mueow, MEOW!’ finishing his performance with a star jump, with all his four little limbs fully outstretched in the air.

  
‘Aww, he’s so cute. No idea what you’re saying buddy, but you’re so damn adorable!’ Rhen, Rhodes and Eros all stretching out one hand to scratch his fat furry belly. Phobos’ face instantly became irritated and turned around to face Deimos with a sickened look. Deimos chuckled and said,

  
‘How about you let me tell the story buddy’, Deimos grabbed Phobos by the waist, and sat him by his right thigh, so that Phobos’ head was level with the table top.

  
‘Alright, so what do you guys wanna know?’ Deimos asked reluctantly.

  
‘Everything, hot shot!’ Rhen shouted.

  
Deimos looked at her with an irritated look, knowing full well that she already knew everything that he was about to say.

  
‘Fine. Well, my good friend here and I were named after the...’

  
‘Twin sons of Ares!’ Rhodes interrupted.

  
Deimos glared at her, which ended up forcing out a quick apology.

  
‘Oops, sorry, please continue.’

  
‘As Rhodes mentioned, yes, we were named after the twin sons of Ares, the God of War. My mum did so without thinking much about what the Gods actually represented, but really just wanted Phobos and I to stay together, as siblings should, because we were the only family to each other.’ Deimos said, stroking the top of Phobos’ head, as he purred in pleasure.

  
‘Only family? What about your dad?’ Eros asked.

  
‘I didn’t have one.’ Deimos looked at Eros as he replied.

  
‘That’s biologically impossible. For an off-spring to be created, you need...’ Rhodes was forced to stop when she noticed a menacing glare from across the table, again.

  
‘Honey, he doesn’t mean it literally. Stop being a bimbo.’ Rhen joked, whispering to her.

  
‘As far as I was concerned, I didn’t have a father. He left my mum to care for me once I was born, and I grew up without a father figure.’ Deimos explained.

  
‘Is that why you’re so in touch with your feminine side, softie?’ Rhen teased.

  
Deimos looked at her and responded with an annoyed frown,

  
‘You are impossible...’

  
Rhen laughed, feeling accomplished each time she was able to get at Deimos.

  
‘Alright guys, thanks for the wonderful afternoon, I really enjoyed our little chat. I’m gonna head back. See you guys first thing in the morning tomorrow!’ Rhodes said standing up and leaving the room.

  
‘Whew! I’m stuffed, and I’m going to take a nap. I’ll leave you boys to it. See ya!’ Rhen followed shortly after Rhodes, and left the two males in the empty silent room. Deimos was mentally exhausted from the heavy topics the four of them conversed over the afternoon. It was about three or four in the afternoon, and Deimos was thinking of doing a little bit of a workout before resting for the day.

  
‘I’ll be going too, see y-...’ Deimos couldn’t complete his sentence and was in the middle of getting up when he felt a warm, firm grip on his left forearm. He stared at Eros, who was now looking at him.

  
‘You ok man?’ Deimos asked.

  
‘Can we talk?’ Eros spoke out confidently.

  
‘Uhh...’ Deimos didn’t dare guess what Eros wanted to talk about.

  
‘Please?’ Eros pleaded.

  
Deimos sighed, ‘sure, what is it?’ sitting back down in his seat.

  
‘I uhh... I’ve been struggling with this... umm...’ Eros was really nervous and couldn’t find the correct words to say. Deimos kept a calm composure, even though he had no idea what was going through this boy’s head. All the while, maintaining his gaze.

  
‘I think that I may be umm...’ Eros was shaking, and sweat had begun forming on his forehead, trickling down the side of his face. Then he let out a loud sigh, and said,

  
‘I think I might be into boys.’ Eros felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulder after he said those words. He suddenly stopped shaking, and his sweating began to slow down a little. Expecting Deimos to react to this, he looked up slowly at him to find his face still unchanged by the statement. Deimos continued looking at him, not really knowing what he was supposed to do, Eros raised his voice a little,

  
‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’

  
‘Is there something I should say?’ Deimos said this so calmly, a little too calmly, in fact. Eros didn’t really know how to feel, it felt good not to be judged, but at the same time the lack of emotion was not making the atmosphere any more comfortable.

  
‘Well ok, there’s one more little thing though... I uhh...’ Eros was starting to creep back to his nervous state again. Deimos’ raised an eyebrow, prompting Eros to reveal his secret.

  
‘I think I like you, Deimos.’

  
‘Excuse me?’ Deimos’ expression now changing quite a bit, to that of shock.

  
‘What do you mean you like me?’

  
‘Well, I mean I find you attractive, and I would really want to get to know you better and...’ Eros was trying to explain himself, but he began breaking down a little. Deimos’ response lacked sympathy, but all of this was a little too much for him to bear as well.

  
‘Don’t. You will not find anything there.’

  
‘But I...’ Eros was now beginning to sound desperate.

  
‘I cannot help you if you go down that path Eros.’ Deimos said this without realising that his heartbeat was starting to increase. He stood up, taking one final look at Eros, before turning his back to him and said,

  
‘Go and get some rest. You’ll need it.’ Deimos walked out of the room, leaving Eros alone in his seat, with tears beginning to form in his eyes.

  
The moment Deimos reached his bunk, he slammed the door behind him, startling Phobos who made a little squeak.

  
‘Sorry buddy’, he apologised, before entertaining his thoughts.

  
Deimos’ heart was racing. Eros just confessed to me? What? Really? I... Interestingly, his mind was blank. Unlike Rhen, this incident caused Deimos to feel a very different mix of emotions, though still nothing pleasant. But instead of a noisy mess in his head, this time there was dead silence, it was equally disconcerting. He leaned his back against the door, and let his body weight slide him vertically downwards until his butt hit the floor, and was sitting down. His hands were now cupping his face, and Deimos tried to work the situation using logic but he couldn’t, his mind just wouldn’t allow it. He decided to change into his exercise gear, thinking that the workout would probably distract him from this ordeal.

  
Once on the track, Deimos was on his fifth round and found that he was already out of breath. Puzzled, he stopped and just tumbled in the middle of the field, lying down face up toward the bright blue sky. The soft white clouds in the sky helped him slow down his heart rate, but the moment he closed his eyes, his heart rate began speeding up again. Images of Eros began appearing in his head, similar to how he was visualising Rhen at the sink the previous night while doing the dishes. The images of Eros, however, were not as simplistic as those of Rhen. The ones of Eros that popped up in Deimos’ head were nude, and very detailed. The moment he realised this, he immediately opened his eyes, and sat up. Still panting, he felt a sudden tightness growing at the bottom of his pelvic region. Deimos looked down at his crotch and thought to himself: ‘Shit.’


	4. New World, New Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Deimos made his way back to his bunk after doing a few pull-ups. However, similar to his run, he could not complete his usual reps either. He entered the bunk, tired as ever, and went straight into bathroom for a shower. He undressed quickly, and got in the shower, turning on the water. He leaned forward with his right forearm pressed against the toilet wall, allowing the warm water to wet his panting body. That erection didn’t mean anything, he thought to himself. I get hard randomly too right? Like when... when... He tried very hard to think of the last time he was aroused, but found it difficult to actually put a finger on a specific event. At one point, he actually thought he was asexual. He didn’t stop trying to convince himself though. The images that appeared in my head of Eros were much more erotic in nature as compared to Rhen right? That must be it. I mean if a straight guy saw another guy nude, he would get an erection too right? And in his mind, he heard a soft whisper, as if his conscience telling him, ‘No, he wouldn’t’. Dammit! In frustration he punched the wall with all his strength using his left hand, resulting in the ceramic wall cracking, leaving a bad bruise on his knuckles. The physical pain was nothing compared to this internal storm brewing inside of him, as he looked down to examine the damage.

  
He leaned back, now his back supporting the full weight of his muscular body as he let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes. Once again, images of Eros appeared in his mind, and he panicked, opening his eyes again, refusing to entertain these thoughts. He felt the same helplessness when dealing with Rhen now within his own body, as he had no control over the direction of his blood flow, feeling it go south. He looked down reluctantly and saw his fully erected 6-inch penis pointing upwards at a roughly 45 degree angle. It was throbbing and begging for friction, its head now swollen red, but Deimos couldn’t do it, the thought of it was too much. He ignored his fully grown member, and quickly finished his bathe.

  
‘Hey buddy, what does it mean when... You know... The thought of a guy, makes you feel... Happy?’ Deimos looked at his furry companion for advice.

  
‘Keeooww...?’

  
‘No, I mean like, really happy, you know?’

  
‘Reeooww...?’

  
‘No, no! Like... Downstairs happy!’ frustration was beginning to build in his eyes.

  
‘Meeooww...?’

  
‘NO! Urgghh! You’re no help at all!’ Deimos slammed the dining table with his hands and scurried to bed sulking. Phobos witnessed Deimos in this state before, and he really did not like it. Deimos was always very mature and efficient in making decisions, but matters of the heart were his Achilles’ heel. He didn’t manage them well because he could never think straight whenever he had an emotional outburst, causing him to either shut off, or run away from the problem, both of which, made things worse. The worst thing was the fact that Phobos could not do anything to help, as much as he wanted to. Phobos just implored the only strategy that has worked before, and that was to give his human time and space to figure things out on his own. Phobos carefully crawled beside Deimos’ bedside, and rested his head on his soft pillow before dosing off.

  
Deimos got up extra early to start packing and getting ready to set off. This was a big move, because they may not return to this bunk ever again. Not like that was an issue, he didn’t particularly like the place anyway, and moving around frequently was something he and Phobos were very accustomed to. It helped that they travelled light too, so packing of essentials could be done within an hour. Deimos was wearing his hunting gear, slinging one strap of his haversack round his right shoulder, and lifting a duffel bag with his left.

  
‘Come on’, Deimos said to Phobos while jerking his head forward, signalling to him that it was time to go.

  
‘Meeeeoooouuu...’ Phobos mumbled with his front paws stretched up in the air like a toddler requesting their parent to carry them.

  
‘Can’t you see my hands are busy?’ Deimos said coldly before turning and walking toward the door. Phobos hissed and followed his human on all fours, hopping and making his way to his companion’s side.

  
Deimos was never conscious of the harm his words brought because they were never intended to cause it. He was a very simple person, and liked solving problems he faced quickly. This was why he was so deadly out in the field. He was quick on his feet, and even quicker on his reflexes. But matters that had no clear solution always blocked him, things he did not fully understand always irritated him, and solutions that required time always frustrated him. That’s why he did not handle the passing of his mother well. Those type of wounds needed time to heal, and he was not patient enough for that, resulting in him creating his own prison, which is the heaviest weight he carries around with him now. No amount of muscle can ever hope to lighten this burden. 

  
‘Rhen! You’re early.’ Rhodes shouted from behind with Eros by her side. ‘Where’s Deimos?’

  
‘No idea, he’s usually early’, Rhen added, as she turned around looking for him.

  
Eros caught a glimpse of Deimos in the distance, his silhouette unmistakeable. He wanted to cry out in excitement, but was bitterly reminded of how their conversation ended yesterday, and ended up biting his tongue. Instead, he mumbled to Rhodes saying,

  
‘He’s here.’

  
‘Hmm...? Ohh. Look Rhen, he’s here!’ Rhodes pointed past Rhen’s face and behind her.

  
Rhen turned around and waved at him. Once Deimos was within earshot, Rhen began the day with her first tease,

  
‘Whooo, look at somebody working those arms so early in the morning!’ she started slapping his flexed left bicep that was carrying the heavier duffel bag load which made more veins visible along the tanned arm.

  
‘Tsk’, Deimos shrugged her away with his right elbow in annoyance. He then turned his attention to Rhodes, to whom he gave a formal nod, and then he looked at Eros who was trying very hard to avoid eye contact. Deimos decided it was best to ignore him for now since a certain body part seemed to be beyond his control whenever he thought of him. 

  
‘So we getting on the Aptonoth chariots yet?’ Deimos asked impatiently.

  
‘The officer said we’ll be boarding soon. He told us to group ourselves into groups of four. Which is just nice for us right? And since the seats are in twos, I was thinking...’ Rhodes was explaining when Deimos said,

  
‘I’ll take the backseat with Rhen and Phobos.’

  
Rhen stared at Deimos, shooting him a confused look, ‘So eager to sit with me? Whoever said I wanted to sit with you?’

  
‘Shut up.’

  
‘Yeah, I think that would be best.’ Eros added, now standing uncomfortably close to Rhodes. Rhodes lifted her brow and exchanged confused looks with Rhen, before opening her mouth,

  
‘Are you two ok?’

  
Eros glared at Deimos, to which Deimos briefly locked eyes with him, before breaking away again saying,

  
‘Yeah, we’re fine. The chariots look like they are ready. Let’s go.’

  
The four brought their things along with them and loaded them on in the cargo space behind. Rhen took this opportunity to help Deimos, standing beside him and leaning in closely until their arms were touching. As soon as Deimos felt her warm skin on his, he turned to her and asked,

  
‘What are you doing?’

  
‘I’m your partner, and I know when something’s up, so...’ Rhen was looking at their bags, but suddenly jolted her neck to now face Deimos who was on her right before saying, ‘What’s up?’

  
Deimos ignored her, loading the last of their baggage, before turning away. Rhen grabbed his left forearm with respectable strength. Deimos did not resist, but he did not turn around to look at her either. The lack of resistance was enough to tell Rhen that he was at least willing to listen, so she wasted no time and said,

  
‘Look, you can’t hide or run from your problems forever, I’ve learned that facing them and talking about them is the easiest way to deal with them. Just know that I’m here ya?’ Deimos turned to his side, before turning completely now to face her.

  
‘You done? Please let go of me.’

  
Rhen pouted as she loosened her grip on her partner’s tensed arm and watched him climb on board the chariot. She soon followed him up, and they went on their way. The ride was thankfully not a long one, because the silence was killing her. Rhen was fine with silence, but this tension was causing the atmosphere between the four of them to become extraordinarily uncomfortable. Rhodes was seated in front of Rhen, and Eros in front of Deimos. Rhen used this opportunity to start a conversation with Rhodes, since the two guys seemed like no fun at all for the rest of the chariot ride.

  
‘Any idea what is up with these two?’ Rhen went straight to the point.

  
‘No idea. Deimos seems like his same old self, but Eros is the one that I feel is acting all strange-y.’ Rhodes said while trying to steal a few glances at the two.

  
‘Hah! That’s only for his behaviour, I’m sensitive to their energy as well, and I can tell you, Deimos’ energy levels are more unusual than finding a Pink-coloured Rathian (she doesn’t know...!) in the wild.’ Rhen tried explaining to a confused Rhodes.

  
‘Anyway, the point is what are we partners gonna do about this? Our male hunters are defective!’ Rhen was trying very hard to come up with a plan.

  
‘Ohh I know, how about during the ship ride, I talk to Eros, and you talk to Deimos, and we can rendezvous somewhere on the ship at a certain time to update each other?’ Rhode said while scratching the top of her head gently.

  
‘Ahh, brilliant idea darling! I see why handlers are important now, we hunters can sometimes be really...’ Rhen was now turning towards the two sulking boys, and completed her sentence saying, ‘stupid...’

  
Rhen endured the silent treatment for about 5 more torturous minutes before she saw the Argosy Port in the horizon. It was huge. Miles and miles of ships crowded the shore, where heaps or goods of all sorts piled up in neat stacks along a seemingly endless beach. It was truly a sight to behold. Rhodes turned around with an equally excited face, glad that she could share her joy with at least one other person on the ride. Before long, they reached the port and started unloading the chariots.

  
Deimos was the first to get off, he saw the pile of baggage and decided to just grab as many as you could see that he was the strongest, he thought he should help as much as he could. He slung his own haversack round his right shoulder and had his duffel bag still in his left hand, but in addition to that, his right arm was holding on to two more bags, and his left hand carried one more. As he was about to begin walking towards the port, Eros suddenly appeared from the corner, causing Deimos to collide with him. Eros fell to the ground, butt-first and let out a soft groan. Deimos was hit back a few steps, and he dropped the extra bags that we was carrying; which was the two on his right, and the one extra on his left. The moment he saw what happened, he dropped his duffel bag, and went over to help Eros up.

  
‘You ok? Sorry, I didn’t see you’, supporting Eros’ right armpit with his now available left hand, lifting him up back on his feet.

  
‘I’m, fine...’ one hand rested behind his head, and the other sweeping the dust off his trousers. The two ended up staring at each other, and before long, they both started blushing, their cheeks turning extremely rosy. Deimos could feel his face heating up, and he decided to muster his strength to turn away quickly. What is wrong with you?! He thought to himself, as he turned back to pick up the bags that were now on the floor. As he grabbed his own duffel bag along with the extra bag on his left, his right arm instinctively reached out for the two other bags he was originally carrying, when his hand felt a warm sensation on the strap. He looked down and saw Eros’ hand already on the two straps, and the two once again froze staring at each other in this awkward position. The physical contact was sending very warped signals to his groin area, feeling it started to warm up. He didn’t have time to think, so he just blurted something to ease the tension.

  
‘Uhh... Let me...’ Deimos said after gulping down a mouthful of saliva.

  
‘It’s alright, uhh, I can handle them.’ Eros was now looking away, focusing his energy on tugging the bags from Deimos’ firm grip. Deimos decided not to struggle with him, and let it go, causing Eros to quickly sling the two bags round his shoulder onto his back, and began walking towards the port. Deimos just stood there, watching him leave.

  
‘Why is your face so red?’ Rhen asked genuinely as her face peaked from round the corner and into Deimos’ line of sight. Ignoring Rhen, he saw Rhodes in the distance running after Eros, only then did he turn his attention now to his annoying partner and her stupid question.

  
‘It’s nothing, I... fell down just now.’

  
‘You what? Are you ok? How did you land on your face?’

  
‘Who said I landed on my face? Yeah of course I’m fine.’

  
‘You didn’t land on your face? Then why is your...’

  
Deimos placed his now available right hand over her mouth and said, ‘please just stop talking, please. I’m ok, really.’ He released his grip quickly, leaving the chariot and towards the harbour. Rhen and Phobos followed closely behind him.

  
As they approached the ship, the four saw the unit assembling by a ship, with their commanding officer standing on a small box to address them. The four together with Phobos quickly scurried over to ensure they could hear what he was saying,

‘Ladies and gents, this is where I leave you. The moment you board that ship, you are the commission’s problem. It was a pleasure working and training you fine young men and women. Good luck, and may the Sapphire Star be your guide.’ The officer jumped off the box and left. The unit then began to scatter, everyone spreading themselves out and began to fill multiple ships simultaneously. Deimos signalled the group to board the one closest to them, and they followed. Before they knew it, the fleet was on its way to Astera.

  
Each ship had a capacity of about twenty or so, and with as many as about ten ships setting sail, there was a generous number of hunters making their way to assist the commission. Our favourite squad got comfortable on the ship, with Rhen, Rhodes, Eros and Phobos sitting down almost immediately at the cafeteria which was being run by palicoes. Deimos, however, decided to make a trip up to the deck for some fresh air. Rhodes then immediately used her eyes to signal Rhen who was already stuffing her face with bread and cheese.

  
‘Wh—a—ftt...?’ Rhen said as crumbs of bread flew out of her mouth. As soon as she realised what Rhodes was trying to signal her, her eyes enlarged and she dropped her food, nodding while she did it, got up and chased after him. Once she left, Rhodes turned to Eros who was also just beginning to enjoy the food, and said sternly,

  
‘We need to talk’.

  
Deimos felt a strong sea breeze hit his face as he opened the door to the top deck of the ship, and he was in utter bliss. He loved the ocean, the fresh air, everything. He wished he could live out in the wild, far from any human being, to be alone, that was his idea of paradise. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the vast ocean which was a similar shade of blue to his eyes, with his eyes being just a tad darker. He walked over to the edge of the bow, leaning on the railing which was just a little higher than his waist, resting his folded arms on it, before closing his eyes. He was in heaven, he felt the cool wind on every inch of skin on his torso, lowering his body temperature to a more comfortable level, his soft white hair dancing in the wind. 

  
Rhen was standing by the side watching him for awhile now, not wanting to deprive him of this pleasurable moment. But after a few moments, she approached and stood next to him. At first, he didn’t notice her because his eyes were closed, and the strong winds prevented him from hearing her approach him despite how noisy the old wooden deck was. Then hesitantly, Rhen opened her mouth,

  
‘Hey.’ 

  
Deimos was a little startled, she could tell, as he opened his eyes. He didn’t even bother turning to face her, his eyes just shifted to the extreme right to catch a glimpse of who it was, before looking back out into the open ocean.

  
‘Can I help you with something?’ he replied.

  
‘Well, I’m concerned about why you’re acting so strangely this morning, and I just wanted to check in on you.’ Rhen said, now looking away from him into the open ocean as well.

  
‘Haiz, I told you I was fine. There’s nothing to talk about.’ Deimos now turned away from the ocean, and was facing the wooden deck with his arms folded and frown reappearing on his face.

  
Rhen turned too but rested her side against the railing so that she faced Deimos,

  
‘Dude, I told you there’s no shame in talking about what bugs you right? Keeping it all inside is gonna make you jelly and sick! Do I need to read your palm again?! I can see what you ate for breakfast, how many pull-ups you did, how many times you fapped yesterday,...’ The moment he heard that word, his eyes opened and he turned towards her and said,

  
‘What on earth are you blabbering on about?’ Deimos now had his left elbow rested on the railing, exposing his left knuckle around their waist level, with the bruises now even more visible compared to yesterday.

  
‘I’m talking about... What happened to your knuckle?’ her attention broke when she saw his injured fist.

  
‘This? Ohh uhh... I kinda punched the wall.’

  
‘Did it offend you in some way?’ Rhen joked.

  
Deimos let out a soft laugh, ‘no, I was just... I had something on my mind, that’s all.’

  
‘Ohh my god, I can’t stand you boys. Why can’t you just speak plainly! WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND?!’ Rhen shouted, losing her patience with her partner.

  
‘EROS CONFESSED TO ME ALRIGHT!’ Deimos shouted back, to match her voice level. Usually, he would shy away after saying something embarrassing like that, but this time he was too full of rage to care about his dignity.

  
‘SO WHAT? BIG DEAL?!’ Rhen, for no reason, returned the shout.

  
‘NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, HE LIKES, LIKES ME!’ Deimos shouted back yet again, raising his voice even louder.

  
‘OK! SO DO YOU LIKE HIM BACK?!’ Rhen’s voice started breaking a little.

  
‘I...’ Deimos fell short of answering, and choked on his reply, and looked down toward the wooden floor.

  
Ah ha! So that’s it right there, Rhen said to herself. 

  
‘Look dude, it doesn’t matter what gender you enjoy jerking off to...’ Rhen was interrupted with an angry stare from Deimos.

  
‘Ok ok, I’m sorry, I mean it really doesn’t matter what gender you’re into, and it certainly doesn’t change who you are as a person you know. I mean you’re still going to be a jackass, and a pain in my butt.’ Rhen said while punching him in the chest, misjudging how solid they were, almost hurting her own knuckle.

  
‘Haiz...’ Deimos, now looked up but not making eye-contact with Rhen.

  
‘I just don’t feel like I have any control anymore. The past 5 years of my life has been a roller coaster ride and I have been trying to do everything in my ability to make it less painful, and...’

  
‘That’s your problem right there my dear,’ Rhen placed her hand on his shoulder, interjecting his statement, ‘you try to control everything. Let these things play out, and stop struggling so much with them. You cannot beat a river into submission, you just gotta go with the flow.’ Deimos’ eye’s dilated after hearing that statement, which was once said to him by his mother whenever he tried to fight a battle she knew he was going to lose.

  
‘I’ll think about it.’ Deimos now turning to face the ocean again.

  
‘That’s good enough for me.’ Rhen now letting go of Deimos’ muscular frame and turning to face the same beautiful scenery as her partner. After a few seconds of silence, Deimos opened his mouth to softly say,

  
‘Thanks’.

  
Rhen smiled, and was happy that she managed to get through to him. Tempted to ruin the moment once again, she gave in responded in an even softer voice,

  
‘You’re still a piece of shit’, leaving the two standing next to each other, smiling.

‘You what?!’ Rhodes exclaimed.

  
Rhodes knew about Eros’ sexual orientation, but she was the best person to confide in because she could keep a secret, and the relationship between Eros and Rhodes were like siblings, they were really close.

  
‘Shh... Keep it down, it’s embarrassing enough as it is’, Eros now looking around for Phobos, in case that little rascal was eavesdropping and reporting back to his human central intelligence.

  
‘Eros! I thought I told you it was a bad idea to tell him! I told you specifically not to do it!’ Rhodes had her right hand massaging her temple, thinking of yet another way to get her partner out of this mess. 

  
‘Yeah Rhodes, I know I fucked up. But the moment just seemed right, like with him hugging me, and defending me yesterday, I know it probably didn’t mean anything but my heart was racing! I really couldn’t hold it back anymore!’ Eros’ voice was beginning to crack a little, a sign of his nervousness. 

Rhodes could tell that her lecturing method was not going to cut it this time, and she decided to take a softer approach.

  
‘So what do you plan to do about it?’

  
‘Well, I think pretending that it never happened will help. And Deimos would probably forget about it and things can go back to normal again!’ Eros was getting more and more convinced as he shared more of his plan. Rhodes smacked her forehead with her hand and raised her voice a little,

  
‘That’s it?! That’s what you had in mind?’

  
‘Why? Is it... bad?’

  
‘It’s terrible! How would Deimos ever forget something like that? You confessed to him! What you need to do, is go and talk to him about it. Clear whatever misunderstandings you two might have, and talk it out. Things will never go back to what it was, but that doesn’t mean you throw away everything else that’s still there!’ Somehow just from the way Rhodes put it, seemed to click in Eros’ mind, and made perfect sense to him. However, he was not convinced about how to go about doing it still.

  
‘But how should I approach him? I mean we get so awkward when we see each other now.’ Eros asked with his hands clasping each other. Rhodes thought about what Eros said and agreed with him that that was a genuine obstacle.

  
‘Do what now?’ Deimos shooting Rhen another judgemental look.

  
‘Talk to him! Look, you two, need to grow some balls and just sit down and talk! What’s so tough about that?’ Rhen vented her frustration at Deimos’ stubbornness.

  
‘Easy for you to say, you don’t have any.’

  
‘Yeah, and yet I can do it! Speaks volume about the size of yours!’

  
Deimos was starting to react less drastically to Rhen’s insulting comments because he began focusing on the point that she was trying to bring across. And somehow, it always seemed to click with him once he put some thought into it. After a short deliberation, he turned to her,

‘So you really think it’ll work?’

  
‘You dumb shit, I KNOW it will work! Now get your ass in there, and talk... to... HIM!’ Rhen was struggling to finish her sentence while pushing this heavy block of wood back into the cabin.

  
‘Hey, woah woah, alright, I can walk there myself, stop push-...’

  
Deimos missed a step and started tumbling down the stairs with Rhen just behind him. They tumbled all the way down to the cafeteria and made a loud thump as they hit the bottom of the cabin, where everyone stopped their conversation to stare at the two who were once again lying on each other, but this time, Deimos was the one on top. Rhen regained consciousness first, and found her face in Deimos’ chest, so her vision was mostly just a sea of brown, but she could feel the warmth of his body radiating outward and onto her face. She could also smell his skin, which oddly enough, smelled light and just a little musky. As he tried to get up, rubbing his forehead with his hand, she started getting a different view of his whole body, a bottom-up view, from his tight abs, all the way up to his broad shoulders. She just lay there, pretending to be in pain, taking in this awesome view for as long as she could. The moment she saw the Deimos regained awareness of the situation, she started inching up his body starting from his firm abs with her index and middle finger saying,

  
‘I actually think you look better from this view hot shot!’

  
The teasing words together with the cold, sharp feeling of someone’s finger nails on his bare skin was enough to kick him back to reality, where he found himself sitting on Rhen, and she was looking at him with the most uncomfortable look he had ever seen.

  
‘Ohh fuck off.’ He said, getting up quickly and leaving her on the floor.

  
Rhen picked herself up, and quickly scanned the room for Rhodes and Eros.

  
‘There they are!’ she said as she pointed. The two of them were seated in a quiet corner having a seemingly intense conversation. Rhen jumped on Rhodes from behind and said,

  
‘Woman! I wanna show you something, come with me.’ And while she held Rhodes’ hand with her right hand, she walked past Deimos and cupped his left ear with her left hand whispering into his ear,

  
‘Good... luck...’ and then gently blew a bit of air right into his eardrum.

  
‘The f-...’ Deimos tilted his neck to one side, moving his ear away from the lunatic as she ran away into the distance with Rhodes. Eros was seated down looking away, while Deimos was standing behind him, a little nervous as well. He decided to initiate,

  
‘Uhh, may I sit?’ 

  
What a stupid question, of course you can sit. Eros doesn’t own the bloody place! Deimos slapped himself in his head after starting the conversation poorly.

  
‘Uhh yeah sure.’ Eros responded, now turned and facing him.

  
Deimos sat next to him, with his arms now on the table.

  
‘Listen, I uhh... I don’t want you to feel...’ Deimos was on a rocky start, but Eros took over.

  
‘Maybe, I should go first.’

  
Deimos nodded politely, and gave Eros his full attention.

  
‘I don’t think I should feel sorry for confessing my feelings to you, and...’

  
‘No no no! You really shouldn’t...!’ Deimos interrupted unintentionally, and gave Eros an apologetic look, and shutting his mouth to let him continue.

  
‘Let me finish. I confessed to you yesterday because I felt that it was a good opportunity to bring it up, considering that we were sharing so many personal things, and then you were suddenly acting all nice, and the hug and...’ Eros stopped himself, realising that he was going off topic.

  
‘Look, the point is whatever I said to you yesterday did not need a response. I guess I was just hoping that the feeling was mutual, but that is a child’s dream. I have been thinking about you almost every day since the first day we met, and I still feel the same now, that’s how I convinced myself that this might not be just a fling you know? But I get carried away sometimes, and I realise now that if forcing this meant that we lose our friendship, then I don’t want anything to do with it. Alright, that’s it, I’m done. Your turn.’ Eros had wet eyes, but he wasn’t tearing. He was holding back much better than he was yesterday.

  
The hug, Deimos knew that was a mistake. Granted, he enjoyed it too, but now he realised what a warped message it sent. And 5 years?! How could Eros hide this feeling for 5 years? Deimos never looked at Eros that way, but this series of events clearly did not go according to his plans and there was no turning back now. In fact, he wasn’t sure how he looked Eros anymore. But he deserves the truth, so Deimos finally plucked the courage to respond,

  
‘I uhh...’ Deimos took a deep breath, before continuing, ‘I’m in a bit of a mess right now Eros. I don’t really know what’s going on, and I don’t really know what I want either. I agree with you that our friendship is too high of a risk to gamble away like that, but I won’t say anything until I am absolutely sure what it is I’m getting myself into.’ Eros was not very good at reading between the lines, but when he heard what Deimos said, his eyes lit up with a little bit of hope.

  
‘I guess what I’m trying to say is... Give me some time? Before I give you an answer?’ Deimos’ voice was very shaky, it was essentially like responding to a proposal for him. He really wasn’t thinking at that point, his heart was doing all the steering and his mind was at the backseat this time. Eros leapt up from his seat and threw himself unto Deimos’ lap who was left shocked in his seat. The sudden force experienced at his torso caused it to tense up, cushioning the impact for Eros. The embrace made him feel like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and his muscles subconsciously relaxed as he returned the embrace. Eros then said softly into his right ear,

  
‘Of course’.

  
The girls came back from their mini-excursion and walked in on Eros sitting on Deimos’ lap. The two turned and looked at each other with elated faces. Rhen was the first to speak up,

  
‘That was fast...’

  
‘Yeah, look at them, back to hugging each other already’. Rhodes said innocently.

  
‘I’m pretty sure that’s a lap dance’. Rhen said with a straight face, and a slightly disgusted look.

  
Rhodes looked at Rhen, and burst out laughing. The two of them walking towards the gentlemen, side-by-side.


	5. Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Eros was back to his normal self after that heart-warming conversation he had with Deimos just now. No, he was happier! He not only had his friend back, he had hope, and hope was something in short supply these days. Eros grew up with very little, and so he knew the value of it. Of course, there was still a chance that Deimos wasn’t ready, but he didn’t care. The future was bright in his eyes, always choosing to focus on the better outcome rather than the worst. This came with a little danger, however. The problem with focusing your attention on the better outcomes usually meant that you subconsciously expect it, and you mentally prepare for it. This is a recipe for disappointment and disaster, which was something Eros knew he had to prepare himself for.

His mind was occupied with all these thoughts, and his heart was racing at the rush of positive emotions that came along with his experience that evening. He decided to rest early, he was very tired, both physically and emotionally. He removed his shirt, revealing his light brown skin that wrapped his torso, and removed his trousers, such that he only wore a loose pair of boxers and jumped on his hammock with both his hands folded back, supporting his head. As he stared at the blank wooden ceiling, being rocked side-to-side by the hammock, he began thinking about Deimos, that was all he could think about at the moment. He was thinking about how perfect of a couple they would make, all the things they could do together, and... His mind stopped, and his heartbeat increased ever so slightly, resisting the entry of that forbidden thought. Sex, well what if Deimos wasn’t aroused by his physique, what if... Eros looked down, having a very horizontal view of his now flat body lying on the hammock. His chests formed a slight bulge, which showed that he had been working out, and his biceps were significantly large as well. His abs were toned and ripped, and his thighs were muscular. In fact, he had a meatier ass than Deimos, he thought to himself as he reached into his boxers with his left hand, giving his left cheek a little squeeze. He could feel the sensation, and he smiled to himself. Even though he was nowhere near as fit as Deimos, he did consider himself an attractive figure in terms of physique. With those reassuring thoughts, he dosed off into the night.

  
Deimos was interestingly also lost in his thoughts that night, however his mind wondered about very different things. He asked more philosophical questions, like whether what he was doing was right, or more importantly, something that he truly wanted; settling down with another male. He never paid his sexual life any heed, and he did not find himself in need to bother himself with it because he never thought he would be interested. But now Eros has somehow managed to rekindle a part of him that even he didn’t know existed, and that thought, in a certain way, aroused Deimos. That was important no? That this special someone was someone that gave your life meaning and purpose again. As nonsensical as that purpose may sound logically, not everything had to have a reason. A gut feel, would suffice. This was very refreshing to Deimos, he never went through his thoughts in this manner before, and he felt lighter emotionally. A smile formed on his face, as he realised this. He too was in nothing but his loose boxers, and as if on cue, he looked down at his crotch and he could see a bulge beginning to form. It has been a long time, my old friend. He reluctantly reached down and grabbed his whole crotch crudely with his right hand, limiting the amount of space it had to roam. The slight friction on his member caused a wave of pleasure that he had not felt in a very, very long time. It made him moan a little. As he was rubbing his hand on his boxers in an up and down motion, with his rod still restricted in his boxers, he decided to close his eyes. The first image that appeared was unsurprisingly Eros, once again, nude. At this, Deimos’ penis grew a little larger and its head was now peaking out a little from his boxers, and his hand felt the familiar texture of flesh on his palm as he continued the rubbing motion. The images got wilder, and wilder, when he suddenly saw himself with Eros, and this time, Deimos was about to put his junk into Eros’-... Deimos then forced his eyes to open, ending the fantasising process as well as his masturbating prematurely. This break caused his rod to begin retreating into his boxers quickly, and he was left looking at the ceiling panting slightly, and his right hand smudged with a little pre-cum. He sighed, looking at his right hand now tainted with a glistening layer of natural lubricant, before he got up and washed his hands.

  
Deimos didn’t really know what that was all about. Did he feel bad for sexualising Eros? Or was he just so out of touch with pleasuring himself that he forgot how it was done? Deimos was slowly being thrown back into this storm of difficult questions once again, and he knew he should confront them one way or another. But now was not the time, now he needed to rest. He shut his eyes, letting his dreams carry him away.

  
Deimos was sound asleep, when a violent rock of the ship, threw him off his hammock, and he landed on floor, face-first. The sudden and hard impact against his forehead caused him to wake up instantly, but blurred his vision as he tried to get up.

  
‘Urrgghhh fuck... What the hell was th-...’ before Deimos could finish his sentence, a second violent rock pushed him to fall on his left side. This time he reacted fast enough as his left elbow shot out to break the fall and support his full body weight. The second rock was enough to wake him up. He knew something was wrong, so he quickly got into his hunting gear and rushed out of his room and into the corridor.

  
The corridor was crowded with panicking people, and everyone was screaming. Deimos was only interested in locating his squad mates, scanning the crowd quickly for a familiar face.

  
‘Deimos!’ Eros shouted from the distance. Deimos turned to him and ran over. Eros threw himself at Deimos, giving him a hug. Deimos still wasn’t used to this much physical contact, so he quickly patted Eros on the back before pushing him away with his hands now on his shoulders looking at him. He said,

‘Where are the others?’ Deimos said in a serious tone.

  
‘Their rooms should be down this corridor, to the left.’

  
The two turned around, and ran down the corridor before making a sharp left. They immediately began scanning for the two ladies, when Eros spotted Rhodes in the distance, he tapped Deimos on his shoulder, pointing ahead,

  
‘I see Rhodes’, he started running towards her, and Deimos followed closely behind.

  
Rhodes was holding onto Rhen, whose hair was in a mess and she was still in her pyjamas half asleep and following Rhodes’ movements like a zombie.

  
‘What... in the... fuck is going on! I need my... beauty... sleep dammit!’ Rhen was struggling to stand up while speaking simultaneously.

  
The three of them ignored her, and Deimos spoke,

  
‘I’ll go and take a look to see what’s going on. You three, try and help everyone gear up and prepare for the worst. I’ll see you at the top deck of the ship in a bit.’ Eros and Rhodes nodded, both of them now looking at Rhen, deciding what to do with her as Deimos ran towards the captain’s cabin.

  
‘What’s going on, Captain?’ Deimos slammed the door of the cabin open and asked.

  
‘Young man, we are in a bit of trouble. The ship just collided with a mountain.’

  
‘A what?!’ Deimos said in disbelief as he walked up to get the same view as the captain. His eyes enlarged when he saw exactly what the captain said, a mountain in front of them.

  
‘How far away are we from Astera?’

  
‘We were actually just a few kilometres away before this mountain appeared out of nowhere, destroying our engines, we’re not going any further on this ship.’

  
‘Well then sound the alarm to abandon ship and get as many people into the longboats as you can, as fast as you can. I’ll see what I can do to help with the evacuation. Go!’ The captain’s crew in the cabin turned to the captain for approval before follow Deimos’ orders. The captain gave a quick nod, and everyone went to work in an orderly fashion.

  
Deimos ran up to the top deck, where most of the ship’s passengers were at now. He found Rhodes, Eros and Rhen at the corner helping people onto the longboats.

  
‘Is this everyone?’ Deimos asked as he got to them.

  
‘Yeah, I think so. We made two rounds around the ship and made sure it was clear, Eros replied him quickly.

  
‘Ok good, get everyone onto the longboats now, and leave! Quickly!’ Deimos took another look at the ‘mountain’ that formed seemingly out of nowhere. It was unusual, because it had no vegetation on it, only what seemed to be ash and rock. As he took a closer look, he noticed that a small part of the ‘mountain’ was actually starting to glow a faint red. The red was glowing more and more intense, which triggered his survival instincts. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t want to stay to find out. That was no mountain, that was Zorah Magdaros.

  
‘We need to leave, now!’ Deimos grabbed Rhen and Eros by the collar, and threw them into the longboat they were trying to load up. Rhodes got in shortly after, and Deimos had one leg in the boat before he stopped in his tracks.

  
‘You never fail to pick the worst times to stone wonder boy. GET YOUR ASS IN THE BOAT!’ Rhen screamed at him. Deimos started frowning, and turned back at the ship, before opening his mouth to ask the three,

  
‘Did any of you see Phobos?’

  
‘Uhh, no, we assumed he was with you.’ Rhodes replied.

  
‘Leave, now!’ Deimos said as he ran back into the ship.

  
‘No! Wai-... Oh my god, my partner is an IDIOT!’ Rhen was very frustrated at this point.

  
‘What are we waiting for? Let’s go already!’ another random passenger who was in the same longboat as the three, commented.

  
‘You shut your useless ungrateful piehole! We are not leaving without my partner. You are more than welcome to go for a swim, and I can help you by throwing your ass off this boat right now!’ Rhen had her face in this hunter’s face, shouting at him. He relented but rolled his eyes away from her.

  
‘Yeah, that’s what I thought!’ Rhen now stood up, shrugging her shoulder arrogantly away from the hunter she just yelled at.

  
‘Rhen, I really think that maybe we shou-...’

  
‘We are not having this discussion. We wait.’ Rhen interrupted.

  
Eros was torn as well, while he felt for Rhodes, his heart could not bear to leave the love of his life behind, and so he sat there silently.

  
Deimos was running through the ship as quickly as he could, checking every single room and corner for his brother. 

  
‘PHOBOS! PHOBOS! Please, where are you?!’

  
Deimos was desperate, his eyes were beginning to get moist. His mind was starting to fill with thoughts of losing Phobos, and his heart could not seem to harbour the emotions that came with these thoughts. Tears started to form in his eyes as a result. He had no time or energy to control his thoughts and emotions, so his tears were raining down across his face, swelling his cheeks red. As he turned his last corner to the final area of the ship he had not looked, he was beginning to lose hope, and he began sobbing, but he was not going to give up. He refused, because he wouldn’t know what he would do if he didn’t find Phobos, he might as well went down with the ship. As he made his final turn, he saw Phobos under a pile of crates, unconscious. His heart was filled with both joy and grief at the same time as he ran over to lift the crates off his companion. He took him into his arms, Phobos’ head now rested on Deimos’ left forearm.

  
‘I got you buddy, I... got you...’ Deimos forced a smile as he saw Phobos’ eyes opened a little to see his face.

  
‘R...ee...oo...’ Phobos let out a soft whine before falling unconscious again.

  
Deimos got up and got his bearings, quickly making his way back to the top of the deck. Then, a third and much more violent rock occurred, followed by a loud explosion in the distance. Deimos stopped for awhile, to reassess the situation, when his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain on his back as a tall pile of crates came crashing down from behind him. He fell to his knees, and used his right arm to break his fall, making sure Phobos, still in his left arm, remained unscathed. The pain started to surge throughout his body, and Deimos could feel the bruises on his back and in his right arm. He was fine, but in pain.

  
‘We need to go NOW!’ the rest of the hunters in the longboat were now protesting, forcing Rhen to abandon her original plan, and agreed to lower the boat into open water as they made their way to Astera. The ship was falling apart, and was being torn in two. The third rock was caused by a large magma boulder that splintered off the intense red portion of the mountain. The blazing fireball crashed right in the middle of the ship, cleaving it in half and setting the wooden ship on fire.

  
Deimos, still having no clue as to what had happened, got up and continued running back towards the top deck. As he ran, he noticed water rising from his feet, and he noticed the temperature rising. As he looked in front of him, the end of the corridor was glowing. It was already on fire, and blocking the exit, he had to find another way. As soon as he realised this, Deimos turned back around, and found the room furthest away from the fire, and went to the window. He placed Phobos down on the floor, and took a wooden stool, hitting the glass window, causing it to crack. Before it could shatter however, the stool broke when Deimos went for a second hit. He quickly tossed the fragments aside, and hit the cracked glass with his left elbow. The first hit caused the crack to spread, but it didn’t break the glass, he hit it again. No shatter, but once again more cracks. His elbow was bleeding now, the pain was getting to him, but once again he ignored it, going for one more blow. The third blow shattered the window as he quickly transitioned his arms to block his eyes from the shattering glass. He turned around to pick Phobos up, and crawled through the small window, his broad shoulders and hips barely making it through, causing the remaining glass pieces that were still stubbornly stuck on the wooden frame to cut his flesh and draw a little blood.  
Deimos tumbled through the window, and fell into the sea, where he got a better view of the mountain, together with the sinking ship. The mountain was now pulsing red throughout, and the heat of the lava was beginning to get more intense. He saw Astera in the distance, easy to spot as it was a well-lit beacon in the dark. He put Phobos on his severely bruised back, making sure his head remained above the water, and he began swimming. He could see Astera, and thought that the distance between them was one he could manage, but his bruised body was not cooperating. Deimos was spent, his energy was waning, and the already dark night was starting to become darker as he began to lose his grip on his consciousness. He quickly found a floating wooden plank, on which he placed Phobos on carefully, before resting his chest on it as well with his waist down still submerged in the salty water. He put his left hand gently over Phobos’ chest where he could feel a weak heartbeat, and that was enough to give him a little comfort. He then succumbed to his fatigue and passed out. His fate now rested on a wooden plank in the middle of the ocean, drifting them aimlessly in the night. 

  
‘I don’t see them... Rhen! Any luck on your side?’ Eros shouted while scouring one side of the beach.

  
‘I don’t... See... Any... Wait...’ Rhen put her right hand over her eyes to cover the glare of the sun, and in this improved vision, she saw two shadowy figures motionless on the beach, one significantly smaller than the other. 

  
‘I see them! I think I see them!’ Rhen ran ahead towards them, and Eros followed closely behind. They saw Deimos’ scarred body lying motionless beside Phobos. Rhen ran straight up to Deimos while Eros went to check on Phobos. Eros could feel a heartbeat for Phobos and let out a sigh of relief, then looking over and seeing the many cuts and bruises on Deimos, his eyes began to water as he asked,

  
‘Is he... ok?’

  
‘He’s fine, but he’s weak, we need to get him back.’ Rhen said examining the state of her partner, with more concern present in her tone than on her face. Rhen then looked at Eros after an uncomfortable duration of silence.

  
‘Did you not hear me? I said we need to get him back! You don’t expect me to carry him on my own do you?’ At this, Eros got up quickly.

  
‘Ohh, right, sorry’, Eros got up on his feet, with Phobos rested on his right arm, he went over, and took on half of Deimos’ body weight over his left shoulder. Rhen then took half of Deimos’ weight on her right shoulder. The two clumsily started making their way back to Astera, with Deimos still unconscious.

  
‘Urggh, this... fat... piece... of... shit... is... heavy... as... FUCK!’ Rhen was complaining with the little energy she had to spare in her breath. Eros, who wanted to respond, had no energy left and ended up just throwing her a grunt in agreement. 

  
‘Let me handle him’, a confident, deep voice came from the front of the two struggling hunters. Rhen and Eros looked up, and saw a tall, handsome man wearing a cloth neck piece that wrapped around his neck and ended where his chest was. He was wearing simple leather gloves and greaves together with a bone coil round his waist. His gear was quite similar to that of Deimos, except that it was mainly in white. He didn’t have white hair either, his was dark brown, and his skin was quite fair. His physique was surprisingly masculine, more so that Deimos, but his muscles were not as tight, or less defined, if you would. He was a little larger than Deimos was despite being about the same height, making him equally if not more intimidating.

  
‘It’s alright tough guy, we got this’, just as Rhen finished that statement, she tripped over a mossy rock and fell flat on her face, causing Deimos to fall down and land on his left side. 

  
‘Ahh fuck, stupid rock!’ Rhen said trying to get back up on her feet as quickly as she could. She saw Deimos now twisted on the ground, moaning in pain and trying to move about on his own as she mumbled,

  
‘Ohh shit’, she said as she made her way over to him. The new arrival got to Deimos first, however, and was caressing Deimos’ body from his abdomen, all the way up to his neck and shoulders. Eros didn’t like what he was witnessing and shouted at him,

  
‘Hey! What do you think you’re doing, touching him like that!’

  
‘Your friend is hurt pretty bad, and I think he might have overworked his body. Let me take him to get some medical treatment.’ The unknown traveller said this while flinging Deimos around like a wet towel, over and onto his back. Deimos’ head was now resting over his left shoulder, and his arms drooped over each side of the stranger’s face, hanging over his saviour’s chest. Deimos’ thighs were supported by his strong arms, to which most of his body weight lied. 

  
‘You think?! We were attacked by a fucking volcano!’ Rhen shouted back and the man’s seemingly stupid comment.

  
‘Ohh that was no volcano, that was Zorah Magdaros.’ The man said while walking away.

  
‘Zor-magros? What the heck is that? Sounds like the name of a pasta dish’, Rhen said with a straight face and an agitated tone.

  
‘Zorah Magdaros. Were you two not briefed?’ the man now turned around looking at the two of them behind him. Eros and Rhen looked at each other, exchanging puzzled looks, before Eros turned back to him and said,

  
‘None of us were briefed...’

  
Deimos was only half awake and still very weak, but all of his senses besides his sense of sight were pretty acute. He heard two familiar voices speaking to another, which he did not recognise, and the content of their conversation was too much of a cognitive load for him to handle that it flew by him. His sense of touch was activated mainly due to his arms and neck, being in contact with another human being’s warm skin. Then his sense of smell was active due to a strange but fragrant musky smell that made him feel comfortable and relaxed. His mouth was still laced with salt water, forcing him to limit the number of times he swallowed his saliva, lest he taste the god awful fluid. Before long, he felt his back rest against a soft, comfortable material. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, because pain was coursing through his body from head to toe, causing an involuntary squinted frown to appear on his face. He desperately needed rest, and just like that he blacked out again.

  
‘... How many ships were we expecting...?’ said an oddly familiar voice.

  
‘10, sir’

  
‘And how many made it safely to Astera?’

  
‘8, sir. 2 ships were attacked by Zorah. 1 of them managed to save its passengers by loading them onto their longboats. We managed to save everyone from the other ship after we sent out our search and rescue parties. I don’t think we could have done it without the exact coordinates that smart and confident handler gave to us.’

  
‘Very well, get all the hunters some hot food and warm beds. I want them settled down and ready for debriefing by tomorrow afternoon.’

  
‘Yes sir.’

  
Deimos was awoken by the conversation, and tried to open his eyes. His vision was still transmitting foggy images to his mind. After a brief moment, everything came back into focus and saw that he was resting in a small tent made of leather. His bed was soft and warm, probably made of some kind of animal fur. Deimos’ memory was beginning to kick in slowly as he remembered bits and pieces of the incident last night. As he tried to sit up, he unintentionally let out a loud moan as his right arm could not find the strength to support his weight, causing him to fall back down on the bed.

  
‘Hey! Don’t try and get up’, hearing that oddly familiar voice once again.

  
Deimos looked up, and saw this fair, handsome man squatting by his bed side, looking at him. He had nice grey eyes, and dark brown hair, and a really good physique as well. Deimos ignored what the man just said, and tried to get up again, this time mentally prepared for the pain. He managed to sit up, and now felt the aching translate to his back and abdomen. He turned to the man, who was still looking at him with a rather concerned look, and said,

  
‘Where am I?’

  
‘You’re in Astera, you made it, but barely. You friends found you unconscious on the beach together with a palico and...’ the man was interrupted fiercely by Deimos as he raised his voice,

  
‘PHOBOS! Where is he?!’ Deimos eyes were enlarged now.

  
‘He’s fine, he’s alright. You are the one we’re concerned with, you were hurt pretty bad.’

  
Deimos gave a heavy sigh of relief, as his shoulders can be seen to physically relax. He was about to begin daydreaming when he noticed that he had just cut this man off, so he looked back up at him and apologised,

  
‘I’m sorry, you were saying just now?’

  
‘Ohh its nothing, I was going to tell you that your friends were struggling to carry you back, so I offered to help. Your friends are very protective over you, and I had to almost take you by force. You are very lucky to have such people in your life.’ The man said as a confident smile appeared on his face.

  
This statement caused a smile to appear on Deimos’ face as well, knowing full well how lucky he is. After a few moments of silence, the man spoke up,

  
‘You are deceptively heavy though’, the man said while letting out a soft chuckle.

  
Deimos raised his eyebrows and turned to the man, suddenly realising that he was the person that he heard, smelled and touched. He felt a mix of anxiety and embarrassment, enough to make him start blushing slightly. This made him open his mouth to say something stupid,

  
‘Ohh, sorry about that.’

  
‘Did you seriously just apologise for being heavy?’ the man was now looking at Deimos was a raised eyebrow. Deimos felt stupid and buried his face in his left hand now in shame. He wanted to get out of this awkward situation as quickly as possible, so he turned back to the man and said,

  
‘I guess I should thank you, for sort of saving my life’, Deimos forced a confident smile.

  
‘Ahh, no need to thank me. Just doing my job.’

  
‘Uhh, you gotta name?’

  
‘Lio, nice to meet you.’ His outstretched hand was now in front of Deimos. Deimos extended his right hand to shake Lio’s hand, and the moment he felt the strength of his grip, he felt a wave of pain travel up his arm and straight to his head, causing him to scream in pain, squinting his eyes.

  
‘Oww...!’

  
‘I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to...’ Lio now kneeling down so that his face was level with Deimos’.

  
Deimos let out a soft chuckle and said,

  
‘It’s alright, no problem, I didn’t realise how bruised I was too’, Deimos said, with his left arm slowly caressing his own right arm, following it up to his shoulder and eventually to his back. He felt the cuts and bruises, and made a slight frown each time his hand went over them gently. He looked up once again seeing a worried Lio face looking straight at him, quite close, I might add. Deimos now looking straight at him, jerked his head slightly and said,

  
‘I’m Deimos, by the way.’

  
Lio had a sweet smile across his face now as he replied,

  
‘Nice to meet you, Deimos.’

  
‘I swear they are poisoning him with toadstool juice now. Did you see the charming man’s grin as he entered the tent with Deimos? He’s gonna rape him in his sleep! You just wait and see!’ Rhen was rambling nonsense together with Rhodes and Eros, who were still worried about Deimos. Her rambling was not helping the situation, especially when she mentioned Deimos being raped in front of Eros.

  
‘No wonder he didn’t want us in the tent! He’s probably gonna spike his tea, and do it again tonight! And...’

  
‘Rhen! Please stop! If you say anymore, I might start thinking that it’s true!’ Eros shouted at her.

  
‘Alright, I’ll stop. If you can convince me why Lio doesn’t want us in the tent with OUR wonder boy?’ Rhen now resting her head on her left hand, which was supported by her left elbow on the table top.

  
‘Uhh, probably so that Deimos can rest undisturbed.’

  
Rhen rolled her eyes, ‘And so we can’t be in there but he can?!’

  
‘I... uhh... Well he’s our field team leader, and technically our commanding officer now, so I guess he has the right?’ Eros’ voice started to sound shaky as he was also beginning to be unconvinced by his own statement.

  
Rhen took a piece of steak and slapped it gently on Eros’ head,

  
‘You idiot! Of course he has the right to do whatever he wants, but that doesn’t make it justified! Stand up for your boyfriend for goodness sake!’ Rhodes looked up when she heard Rhen label Deimos as Eros’ boyfriend.

  
‘Well, he’s technically, not...’

  
Rhen raised her voice at Eros, ‘Not? Not what? I can’t hear you.’ Rhodes was also now curious to hear what Eros was trying to say.

  
‘He and I are not exactly... Together?’

  
Rhen and Rhodes looked at each other, stunned as ever, Rhen standing up and screamed while she left the table,

  
‘I can’t believe it, boys are retarded. I’ve had it! Enough! Enou-...’ she was starting to become inaudible, but the two could still see her throwing a fit as she climbed down the stairs.

  
‘What do you mean you guys are not together? I thought you two sorted things out yesterday!’ Rhodes asked gently.

  
‘No, yeah we did talk things out, but our conclusion was not to get together. Deimos said he needed more time to think about it, and so that’s what we agreed on. So I guess there’s still a chance, but just not now...’ Eros tried his best to explain things clearly to the presumptuous Rhodes.

  
‘Ohh... So that’s what happened. Rhen and I thought that since you were on his lap, you guys were... You know...’ Eros smiled, as he remembered the embrace,

  
‘Nah, that didn’t really mean anything. But we did close things properly.’

  
‘That’s good, I’m happy for the two of you, regardless.’ Rhodes said while smiling at Eros.

  
‘So how long have you been away from your family?’ Deimos asked.

  
‘Ohh I’ve been with my family ever since I came to Astera, they came here with me.’ Lio responded. Shortly after, he continued,

  
‘My grandfather began this commission almost forty years ago. He retired and returned back in the Old World about ten years ago. That’s when my father came in to take the mantle of commander of the commission ever since.’

  
Deimos nodded as he was drinking his thick green vigorwasp tea, supposedly good for mending wounds. After putting his cup down, he asked,

  
‘And so when would it be your turn to take on that responsibility?’

  
Lio laughed, and said, ‘Ahh, leadership has never really been my cup of tea. I’m more of a out-field, practical kinda guy. My purpose is out there, in the front lines with my hunters, hunting and suffering with them.’ Deimos empathised with Lio, and knew exactly what he was talking about, because strangely enough, he was like that as well. The two of them spent the next few minutes chatting and getting to know each other better, when out of the blue, a recruit barged in unannounced. Lio stood up immediately, his friendly face disappearing almost immediately as he shouted,

  
‘What do you think you’re doing here? This is a private tent for the wounded, get out!’

  
‘So-... Sorry Sir, but the palico we found with this injured man is causing a big racket over at the healing ward, making all sorts of weird meow-ing noises and scratching our nurses. The Lynian Researcher translated what he was saying, and said that he kept shouting ‘Deimos’. Does that word mean anything to you Sir?’ Lio turned to Deimos, with a mixed expression of both annoyance and sympathy. He saw that Deimos was looking down, and was beginning to tear, and so he quickly turned to the recruit and said,

  
‘Bring the palico here immediately.’

  
The recruit disappeared, leaving Lio to turn his attention back to Deimos again. He squatted down and looked at Deimos, asking,

  
‘Were the two of you close?’

  
Deimos said with a tear dripping down his face,

  
‘He’s my brother.’

  
Lio took a bit of time to decipher the meaning of that statement before responding to it.

  
‘Well he’s fine, as I said, so there’s nothing to worry about.’ Lio said this in response to the obviously affected Deimos. He shook his head slowly in response,

  
‘It’s not that, I wasn’t exactly treating him right before the accident happened. There were a lot of things happening that I thought were more important and I took him for granted. We’re fucking brothers man, I’m such an asshole. I wouldn’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t find him...’ Deimos was interrupted by a tender hand on his right shoulder, followed by a slight depression he felt in the bed by his right. He turned his head to see Lio now sitting next to him by the bed, with his left hand on his shoulder.

  
‘Forget about that. All of that was in the past. Make use of what time and energy you have now to make it right.’ Lio said this so calmly and confidently, that it made Deimos smile a bit, wiping away the tear from his face. They heard footsteps running towards the tent, and Deimos broke his gaze with Lio to stare at the entrance of the tent. His eyes were glistening with anticipation to see his brother again.

  
‘MEEEEEEOOOO’, Phobos screeched as he jumped into the tent with a very big frown across his face and his paws stretched in front of him, prepared to beat somebody up. As soon as Deimos saw him, he couldn’t control the tears that came to his eyes. He fell to his knees, ignoring the pain that it caused him. He grabbed Phobos and embraced him such that their faces were side-by-side. Phobos’ face instantly relaxed and purred with pleasure as he enjoyed the familiar warmth of his brother’s face. Deimos buried as much of his left cheek into Phobos’ fur with his eyes closed, and said softly,

  
‘I’m so sorry, buddy.’


	6. Home Sweet Home

Deimos woke up to the warm sunshine hitting his face, shining in from the slit in the tent entrance. He moved his whole body, trying to feel every finger, toe and muscle he had control over. While doing this, he felt his left arm rubbing against a furry surface, he turned over to find Phobos still sleeping soundly with his head resting on his left chest. That was a nice scene to wake up to, Deimos thought as a smile appeared on his face. He pushed himself up slowly and quietly, and while some areas of his body like his back and his arm still ached, most of his body was actually feeling fine and well rested. That vigorwasp tea really worked wonders, it seems. He placed his left hand on the back of his neck as he turned his head a few rounds in an anti-clockwise direction to loosen the joint that had turned stiff from all the sleep. While doing this, his caught a glimpse of someone else in the tent with him. He stopped rotating his neck to face the mysterious figure who was seated at the table in the middle of the tent. It was Lio, with his head down on the table, supported by his right arm stretched out straight, and his left hand on his elbow acting as a pillow for his right cheek to rest on. He was a rather handsome guy, Deimos thought, charming even. He stared at him for awhile, staring at his face, his features, his muscles, his frame, all the way down to his legs and his greaves. A fine young man, just like himself. Deimos broke himself out of the trance, and tried standing up. Now feeling the sore in his thighs, and took his time with his first few steps toward the opening of the tent. After his third or so step, he was able to pick up the pace and walk a little faster, eventually reaching the entrance of the tent and lifting one side of the flap, revealing a whole new world in front of him.

It was amazing, an explosion of different vibrant colours filled his irises and the gigantic wooden structure that was Astera was made dynamic by multiple pulley systems that formed a lift in the centre of it all. There were stairs that allowed access to this multi-levelled utopia as well. Four levels, to be exact. The first thing that hit Deimos was the freshness of the air. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, taking in a slightly salty scent that came from the ocean breeze. It slowly turned into a sort of sweet pollen fragrance that came from the flowers growing in the forest, and finally morphing into a very crude yet refreshing scent of grass soaked in morning dew. It was really like entering a different world, back in the Old World, fences were built to keep animals and monsters in, but here in the New World, fences were build to keep them out, and rightfully so, Deimos thought to himself. And to top it all off, the backdrop of Astera was a huge tree that connected the whole forest together; the Ancient Tree, or at least that’s what the scholars called it. It was massive, and magnificent to behold, its leaves constantly raining down on Astera, to create the atmosphere of autumn. He could only look forward to how awesome this place would look at night. Distracted by the stunning view, Deimos felt something claw up his way from his left heel up and onto his left shoulder, it was Phobos. He looked over to him, and gave him a pleasant smile along with a scratch below his chin which he loved so much. This was shortly followed by a warm touch around his lower back, to which he turned around to see Lio standing by his right,

‘I see you’re up. How are you feeling?’

‘Ohh hey, I’m feeling much better.’ Deimos was in a weird position right now. He kind of wanted and didn’t want Lio’s hand to be where it was. So he just took a few steps away so that Lio’s hand was no longer in contact with his bare back. He then quickly changed the subject,

‘Astera is beautiful.’

Lio now turned away from Deimos, ‘Yeah, and its home. You know, it could be your home too.’ Lio now turned towards Deimos again. Deimos felt a sudden chill down his spine when he heard that, sweat starting to form on his forehead. Lio’s going a little fast isn’t he? We kinda just met yesterday right? Deimos’ thoughts were racing and so was his heart. He gulped before facing Lio, continuing the conversation,

‘My home? What do you mean?’

‘Ohh your unit didn’t tell you? You are here because the Commission ordered a formal request for them to send hunters over, and you guys formed the Fifth fleet. The moment you set foot on Astera, you are technically the Commission’s property. But we don’t have a habit of controlling our individuals here, we have tasks to complete, but once those are done, you are free to do whatever you want. And that includes going back to the Old World, or staying here to build a new one.’ After hearing this clarification, Deimos heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment there, he thought Lio was proposing. He was really getting ahead of himself, he didn’t even know if Lio bent that way.

‘Something on your mind dude?’ Lio interrupted Deimos’ thoughts after a long period of silence.

‘Ohh yeah, uhh... I mean no, not really.’ Deimos stumbled.

‘Haha, ok. Anyway, I got some of the recruits to bring your stuff down to your room, maybe I can show you to it?’ Lio now took a few steps ahead, offering to lead the way. Deimos nodded and followed him. Deimos chose to take the stairs because the lift system here was not a very safe one. It functioned on a huge gear pulley system that had uniform interval platforms going through the whole of Astera, bringing you from one level, to the next. This system was tilted at an angle, and the platforms were extremely narrow with a simple metal bar for you to hold on to while the system brought you up. Deimos was not confident that his body could handle it just yet, so he felt safer taking the stairs. While descending, he asked Lio,

‘Is there by any chance I could get my own room?’

‘Ohh, no chance buddy. Everyone here bunks in pairs.’

Deimos was a little concerned when he heard this. So he pushed for more information.

‘How are we getting paired?’

‘Ohh we used to get the hunters and the handlers to bunk together, but there was a umm... Issue... that made us decide it was better that the pairs were of the same gender.’ Lio tried to explain. ‘Issue’, right, pairing people of the same gender would solve that ‘issue’, Deimos thought. Great, Deimos was definitely going to be paired with Eros then, which will give him almost no time to himself. It seemed like Deimos was not happy with this decision because of Eros, but frankly speaking, it had nothing to do with Eros but rather himself. He was the type of person who needed to be alone with his thoughts at the end of the day. He wasn’t sure how he was going to cope.

‘Are you... ok? You seem upset.’ Lio was being awfully observant.

‘Hmm...? Ohh I’m not upset, just a little concerned in the long run. I’m the kinda guy that needs his alone time, that’s all. I’m very used to living alone.’ Deimos explained.

‘I see. Well, I get it. I’m kinda like that as well. But I don’t think I can help you for the time-being. You see, higher ranking individuals like myself get to have single rooms, while everyone else just has to share for now, until we manage to cater to more people.’

‘Yeah I get it. It’s alright.’

Lio could tell it wasn’t. Deimos was expressive in his own way, and while he had a more expressive face now as compared to before, he usually expressed his emotions through his tone, or the lack there of. Lio was a people’s person and therefore extremely sensitive to slight changes in human behaviour. Even though he only knew Deimos for about a day, he knew his type. Tough-acting on the outside, but generally quite soft on the inside. By soft, it didn’t mean weak, but rather emotional. I mean Deimos broke down in front of Lio three times within the one day that he knew him, Lio was quite confident he could identify Deimos’ type by then. Furthremore, Lio was not so different from him when he was in the military back in the Old World too. His arrogance was a hindrance here in the New World, and so he learnt to leave that behind. Now, Deimos must go through that same learning process that took Lio almost 3 years to overcome. Lio broke out of his thoughts, and faced Deimos to say,

‘Tell you what, survive for a few weeks and I’ll see what I can do for you. I might be able to pull some strings and help you get you your own room. Or, if you want, I could always arrange for you to bunk in with me. I’m busy most of the time, so you will have plenty of space and time to yourself. I’ll let you decide.’ Deimos didn’t really catch Lio’s second offer, so he just replied loosely,

‘I’d love that, thank you.’

Lio smiled at that response, ‘Ok, now let’s get you settled in your room’.

The two of them reached the ground floor of Astera, where Lio brought Deimos to the far ends of the base. This area was set aside as the living quarters, and he could see that it was undergoing constant renovations to expand its capacity. They were using the scrap wood from ships to make small but comfortable dormitories for their recruits. They were stationed in an orderly fashioned, side-by-side one another, divided by thin wooden walls, and yet when seen from a distance, looked like a single unit. It was quite a piece of architecture, simple and organised.

‘This is your room’, Lio stopped at the third bunk, opening the door for Deimos.

‘Thanks’, Deimos replied as he entered. The room was nice and compact, with two beds flushed on the right and left side of the bunk with a small coffee table in the middle with four wooden stools. At the back, he saw a door which he guessed led to the toilet. He looked up and saw that the roof was covered by a transparent material, which meant the room would be lit by natural light, he liked that. He walked in, and saw that his things were placed neatly beside the bed on the left, and beside his bed was a small little basket with a pillow and a small piece of cloth. At this, Phobos immediately jumped off his shoulder, and got into his new bed, rubbing his face into the pillow with delight.

‘We don’t normally have hunters with palico companions, so I hope this would suffice.’ Lio explained.

Deimos looking at Phobos enjoying himself, replied,

‘Ohh its perfect’, he now turned to Lio, ‘Thank you’.

Deimos was now looking over at the bed on the right. And he saw Eros’ things already unpacked and that corner of the room was personalised with his towel, undergarments, and hunting gear hanging by his bedside. Lio walked up and opened the toilet door to inspect the condition, before turning to Deimos saying,

‘So this door just leads to the toilet, which you probably could’ve guessed’.

Deimos walked over and peeked inside with Lio still holding the door for him.

‘Where’s the shower?’ Deimos asked. Lio’s faced blushed ever so slightly and smiled.

‘Ohh we don’t have individual showers here, the water piping system needed for that is extremely complex and expensive to build. So we just take from nature.’ Deimos was afraid when he heard this and decided to not be presumptuous and asked,

‘What do you mean... Take from nature?’

‘Ohh we bathe by the river that flows through Astera. Don’t worry, we have cordoned off the area to provide a little privacy, and also split the area into two communal baths; one for the guys, and one for the girls.’ Deimos was getting really uncomfortable and started sweating. Lio was getting worried for him, and placed his right hand on Deimos’ left shoulder,

‘Hey, are you sure you’re alright? If you need something just ask, I’m sure I could...’

Deimos interrupted, ‘No no, it’s nothing, I’m fine. I’m just uhh... Not used to living like this.’ Of course, Deimos was fine with communal baths, but ever since his body showed him that he was not capable of control while in the presence of nude men, he was beginning to worry that showering might soon become a problem for him. Lio saw Deimos in a very uncomfortable state and wanted to comfort him when Deimos beat him to it, saying,

‘Why is there an exposed pipe below the sink?’

Lio reacted to his question and turned to look at the exposed plastic pipe that was present just under the ceramic basin.

‘Ohh that was part of the old piping system. We realised it wasn’t doing much and only making the flushing system cause more problems, so instead of removing it, we decided to just seal its connection to the main pipe behind. Just ignore it, it serves no purpose now.’ Deimos nodded as he scanned the toilet one last time before turning around and walking over to his bed side. Lio let go of the toilet door and followed him. Deimos sat down on his bed, it was much softer and warmer than the one he had back in his old bunk. His hand ran through the soft material from his right thigh slowly up to his pillow. He loved it here, and yet he could not bring himself to feel happy. Why? Why indeed, he didn’t know either, he couldn’t seem to put a finger on it, and this was plastered across his face as a persistent disappointed look. Lio was a little concerned, but he knew no amount of asking would help, Deimos needed time alone.

‘So uhh, I guess I’ll just leave you to your thoughts then. I’ll see you later in the afternoon for the briefing.’ Lio waited a brief moment, hoping for a response from Deimos, but got none. So he just walked towards the door, and left. Deimos didn’t ignore him intentionally, but he wasn’t listening because his thoughts were becoming more intrusive. Thoughts of what, you might wonder? Well, thoughts of Eros of course. He loved him, but for some reason, something was out of place. The feeling that something was unnatural constantly stirred in his mind, and yet he couldn’t figure what it was. This messed with him and frustrated him a lot, not only because of the internal turmoil it caused, but because Eros deserved a straightforward answer and to move on with his life, with or without him. Eros deserved happiness. Deimos could go on forever, but he didn’t want to. He broke out of his trance and started unpacking, making his corner of the room as comfortable as he could. Once he was done, he poked his brother in his now snoring belly to wake up him,

‘Time to go buddy’. Phobos got up with one eye still closed, rubbing it with his right paw. He got up and climbed onto Deimos’ left shoulder as they left for the briefing.

’38... 39... Fort-... URRGGHH... RHEN!!!’ Eros was on the ground with his body arched upwards and his elbows bent, in a half push-up position and trying to straighten his arm. Rhen was sitting on a stool, munching on a drumstick with her right leg stepping on Eros’ back, preventing him from completing his fortieth push-up.

‘Mrrruuuhhh? What?’ Rhen said with her mouth still chewing on her food, pretending to not hear Eros.

‘Leg... Fat... Please...’ Eros was just blurting nonsense, hoping something would make her lift her leg.

‘FAT?! Did you just call me fat?!’ Rhen now putting her drumstick down and pressed her whole body weight on that leg that was on his back, causing him to fall flat on his face, kissing the ground.

‘Oww... Pfft...’ Eros pushed himself up as he spitted out some dirt that went into his mouth, leaving a foul taste. Rhodes was sitting with them, but she was engrossed in her books as usual.

‘Hah! Weak! I finished 40 push-ups and you could only do 39. I’m more man than you are.’ Rhen was taunting Eros.

‘But... But...’ Eros tried to rebut as he was still regaining sensation back on his still sore face.

‘Baaabaaabip, losers don’t get to talk to champions.’ Rhen said while she turned away and sat back down, finishing up her drumstick. As Eros got back on his feet, he looked up, and saw Deimos in the distance. He shouted at him,

‘Deimos! Hey, over here!’

Deimos turned in the direction of the voice, and a smile automatically appeared on his face when he saw his squad mates. He walked over, as Eros ran toward him, closing the distance quickly. Eros embraced him, and Deimos returned the hug.

‘Glad to see you’re ok. You are... ok right?’ Eros said with a concerned look on his face, still hugging Deimos.

‘Yes, I’m fine. Thanks to you.’ Deimos replied sweetly.

Deimos looked up and his face of solace turned quickly into panic as he saw a high-speed Rhen charging towards the two of them. Deimos, still hugging Eros, began taking a few steps back, but ultimately Rhen jumped and collided with Eros’ back and her four limbs wrapped around the two males, reaching up to Deimos’ side. The weight of two fully grown adults was still a bit much for Deimos to manage at this point, that he started falling backwards, hitting his still sore back on the hard concrete floor.

‘Fucking hell...’ Deimos cursed as he felt a familiar pain surge through his body again. Eros being sandwiched between the two was now staring straight at Deimos’ painful expression. He placed his hands on the ground, right below Deimos’ arms, trying to spare him from as much of his and Rhen’s weight. Rhen continued lying on top of Eros, and pushed down even harder, causing Eros’ already weakened arms to give way, making him fall directly onto Deimos’ face, connecting their lips. This foreign sensation causes Deimos’ eyes to shoot wide open, and his pupils dilated, and so did Eros’. They remained in this position for awhile before Eros pushed down with his arms, this time with full strength, forcing Rhen to fall backwards and landing on her butt. Eros got up quickly, and offered his hand to Deimos. He took it, and Eros helped him up, Deimos was still a little stunned by the whole ordeal, not knowing what to say.

‘It’s so good to see you wonder boy! How are you holding up?’ Rhen now with her hands on her hips, and her standard cheeky smile across her face.

‘I uhh... I’m good. Thanks.’ Deimos’ words were broken and his face was flushed red, not being able to ignore what had just happened. Rhen smiled, and immediately went over to Phobos, who was still on Deimos’ shoulder, and starting pinching his cheeks.

‘And how about you little cutsey ball of floof. Ohh you’re a little ball of fluff, you’re so cute... Mrggh...’ Rhen moved on to start tickling Phobos all over, ignoring his distressed human companion who was just beside them. Rhodes came over and looked at Deimos smiling before she said,

‘It’s good to have you back with us.’

‘I...’ Deimos was now looking at the three of his friends,

‘Thank you, all of you.’

Eros’ face was now lit with a very pleasant smile, and Rhodes returned a very confident nod, accompanying it with a smile as well. As Deimos turned to Rhen, he noticed her face had an expression of digust, before she grabbed Deimos by the side of his head and started shaking violently,

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WONDER BOY?! GIVE HIM BACK!’ the violent shaking was beginning to make Deimos dizzy, so he shut his eyes. He quickly hit her hands off, before looking at her again with a now irritated look on his face.

‘What the fuck, stop that! What’s your problem?’

Rhen now turned to the other two, ‘it was the toadstool juice, what did I tell you! He has worms in his brain, and why does he suddenly have a heart now? I want my wonder boy back!’ She said this as she faked a cry, kneeling down in the middle of the footpath. Eros and Rhodes slowly breaking into a laugh, with Deimos still slightly confused with what was happening.

‘All hunters from the Fifth fleet, please report to the ground floor assembly area for a briefing immediately. Thank you.’ A monotonous voice appeared from the announcement system, interrupting the reunion. The squad looked at each other, before making their way down to the ground floor as instructed.

As the squad arrived on the ground floor, they saw most of the hunters already assembled near an empty pedestal. The four of them went as close as they could to join the crowd. Almost immediately after they arrived, two tall figures appeared on the pedestal. One familiar, the other not, and yet, they had very similar facial features and were about the same height. Lio was one of the figures, standing beside who could only be assumed to be the commander, his father. Lio was scanning the crowd with a very stern look on his face, but the moment he locked eyes with Deimos, his faced relaxed and a slight smile appeared, making Deimos a little uncomfortable.

‘Good afternoon everyone, I am commander Rion, and I am the leader in-charge of all operations in the Commission. Don’t let that title intimidate you however, I do not believe in ruling with an iron fist. If you disagree with anything I say, I am open to suggestions. And while I allow freedom, I will not tolerate disrespect, is that clear?’

‘Yes sir!’ a coordinated response emerged from the crowd of hunters in front of him.

‘Excellent. Now, down to business. I will not lie, the commission is running very thin on resources, and our camps beyond the walls of Astera are suffering heavily from uncontrolled monster attacks. We are unable to function when we cannot establish basic control over these bases. As such, your commanding officer here, Lio, was tasked in assigning you hunters to specific regions around the island to assist in maintaining order and protecting any precious cargo that we have to transport. You will be briefed specifically by him and his team of elite hunters. That’s what you guys are here for, and that’s what we need your help with. In return, we have made Astera as hospitable as possible, but if you have any other specific needs, please let us know and we will try to accommodate, we are one family here.’ Rion now turned towards Lio, with his back facing the crowd and said softly,

‘Bring that injured hunter around, and make sure he is familiar with our base.’ Lio nodded, before he got up to take his father’s spot, now addressing the crowd.

‘As all of you have heard, we are in desperate need of your help, and we believe that if we work together, we can establish control. Let’s work together!’ Lio punched his fist in the air while saying this. The crowd responded positively, with some hunters following suit and cheering. The squad looked at each other, exchanging smiles, before Rhen made it awkward by commenting,

‘He would make a good boyfriend.’ Deimos and Eros both looked at her almost immediately with judgemental looks on their faces.

‘What? I’m just saying. He’s good looking, nice frame, and charismatic too. Can you imagine the kind of cheesy things he’ll say while having sex?’ Rhen was raising her eyebrows like a creep now. Rhodes giggled, while the other two guys started blushing. Their conversation was interrupted by Lio’s confident voice, continuing his speech.

‘So, all of you were assigned groups yesterday when you arrived, please report to your respective superiors, they will brief you accordingly. Dismissed!’ Deimos still looking at Lio, asked the three,

‘So what group are you guys in? Cause I don’t have a group yet, I might request to be in the same one as you guys.’ Deimos now turning to look at them due to the lack of response,

‘Guys?’

‘Uhh, we weren’t assigned a group either’, Rhodes replied.

‘Ohh...? That’s strange.’ Deimos now turning back to Lio, who jumped down from the pedestal, and making his way over to the squad.

‘Ohh Prince charming’s coming, maybe he’s gonna give us our group now.’ Rhen said excitedly. True enough, Lio arrived at the squad, and looked at the three saying,

‘The three of you, report directly to my father at the council table now.’

Rhen knelt down and grabbed Lio’s fur greaves and replied, ‘What? Look, I didn’t mean to steal that drumstick, I was hungry and didn’t have any money! Please don’t send me to jail!’

Lio turned to her and laughed, ‘What? No one’s going to jail. The reason the four of you have no group is because I need a specialised team to be working directly with me. And seeing how you guys functioned yesterday, not only can I see how efficient you are, but I see how much you value trust and friendship. Both of which, are difficult to come by these days, and so I only want the best by my side, and the four of you are my personal choice.’ It was Eros’ turn to now shoot a surprised look at Lio saying,

‘You said three of us? What about Deimos?’

‘Ohh right, because Mr Injured Boy here was resting the whole of yesterday, he missed the tour of Astera, which all of you have already attended. So I will give him a personal tour before we join you guys for the council meeting.’ Eros then started to become defensive, saying,

‘Well, if the meeting is only going to begin when you two return, then why can’t the three of us follow you two? What difference does it make?’

‘The difference, my friend, is that Deimos knows about Zorah Magdaros.’ Lio replied confidently.

‘Zora-gros? What the heck is that? Sounds like a...’ Rhodes was unable to finish her statement because Rhen shouted at her,

‘PASTA DISH! I know right?!’ Rhen now folding her arms and staring at Lio.

Lio was now smiling at them, showing them that he did not have to explain himself any further.

‘Haiz, ok fine. But come back quickly! Deimos still can’t... He still can’t walk for prolonged periods of time, he’s... He’s still recovering!’ Eros tried to sound confident, but ended up with a heap of incoherent words. Deimos was smiling at him, feeling flattered by how protective he was over him. Lio smiled as he looked at Deimos’ pleased look, and then looked back at Eros saying,

‘Yes sir!’

‘Ok lover boy, let’s go.’ Rhen said as she dragged Eros away, with Rhodes following closely behind them. Deimos was very conscious of what Rhen just said, and was hoping Lio didn’t catch it. A blush immediately appeared on his face when Lio said,

‘Lover boy huh! No wonder he’s so protective over you guys.’ Deimos was extremely uncomfortable, and hoped that Lio would stop harping on it. Lio then pushed,

‘So is there a lucky girl Rhen’s referring to?’

Deimos was starting to sweat, as he answered,

‘Ohh no, haha, Eros is not together with any girl.’

‘Ohh? A lucky guy then?’ Lio asked with a non-judgemental look.

‘Huh what? Who says he’s interested in that kind of thing?’ Deimos was losing control over the situation, and he was getting flustered again. Lio then enlarged his eyes as he slowly turned to look at Phobos saying,

‘Don’t tell me he’s into...’ Lio said nervously.

‘WHAT? No, no, no! Look, just ignore Rhen, she says stupid things all the time.’

Lio knew something was fishy, not because of Deimos’ response, but from his tone and how nervous he was starting to become again. Lio decided to drop it, and start his one-on-one tour with him. Lio brought Deimos round the ground floor, and showed him all the provision shops and trading crates that were piled up. There were spices, materials, potions, and pretty much anything you wanted, you could find here.

‘The ground floor is where we normally hold our provisions and stockpiles. We do have individuals who make a living here, so not everything’s for free, just make sure you check before taking anything’, Lio turning to look at Rhen briefly, before turning back to continue. ‘We also have a small space over there where you can plant your own herbs if you find any seeds out in the wild. Everyone’s allocated a fixed number of pots, so use them anyway you like. The living quarters are also on this level, but you’ve seen that already so I won’t show it to you again.’ Lio explained, as he pointed at the respective areas.

‘Ohh, so you live with us down here?’ Deimos asked.

‘Ohh no, the tent you were resting in yesterday is my room.’ Lio replied. ‘And that is on the third level, where the canteen is.’ Deimos was a little confused now, trying to recall what he heard Lio say yesterday.

‘Wait, but didn’t you say that tent was a private tent for the wounded?’ Deimos heard Lio clear his throat before responding,

‘Ohh did I? I must have slipped. That was my private quarter. Besides, they didn’t have room for you at the medical centre so I figured you could use my bed instead.’ Deimos felt this weird fuzzy feeling in his stomach now. It wasn’t hunger, he had no idea what it was, but it made him a tad uncomfortable.

‘Shall we go up?’ Lio said, now standing at the lift system. He led the way, grabbing on to a metal bar that accompanied a small wooden platform as it took him upwards. Deimos followed his lead, getting on the next platform that appeared. Lio alighted at the next visible level, which was level 2, and helped Deimos off the platform, making sure he regained his balance before starting to speak,

‘And over here, we have our smithy. After hunting or gathering materials out in the wild, you can always pass them to the smithy and he will be able to improve or customise your weapons and armour for you.’ At this, Lio started examining Deimos’ armour, or what little there was of it. So instead, he started checking his body out. The tan muscles that glistened in the sun with the help of a little bit of sweat forming from the radiating heat made his chest and abs look very firm. His arms were bulging as well, with his gloves strapped tightly round his biceps and forearms, revealing some popping veins. Deimos nodded while looking at the smithy, expecting Lio to continue, not knowing that the field team leader had been totally distracted. Deimos turned around and spoke, but didn’t finish once he noticed what Lio was doing,

‘Ok, so what’s nex-...’

Lio blushed, and looked at Deimos in the eye.

‘Uhh, sorry. So uhh, next up is actually the canteen, this way.’ Lio turned his back quickly to hide his blush. Deimos didn’t really know what to feel, but he did feel a little proud that he had this effect on people sometimes. Walking up a short flight of stairs, they were welcomed by a huge oven made of stone with multiple outlets, but fuelled by a single blazing fire within. The canteen had large pots over big fires, boiling huge amounts of soup, or stew, or whatever it is that people here eat. And in the middle, there was a gigantic stone counter with cooked food stacked up and presented nicely on metal plates and garnished with nice fresh greens. And to top it all off, the canteen was run by palicoes. All of them handling utensils two to three times their size. It was both adorable and impressive. As stunning as this view was, what was even more distracting was the smell. The sweet, salty, and slightly bitter aroma of fresh vegetables being fried, boiled and baked filled the air with this welcoming fragrance. It was then slowly overpowered by a domineering thick crude smell of meats being fried and baked, both of the smells coming together to form a masterpiece of delight for his senses. A third sense, was now itching to be satisfied, so much so that his stomach started to gurgle slightly. Deimos placed his right hand over the region in between his chest and his abs to suppress the sound, but Lio heard it and laughed,

‘The food here is really good, I can treat you to dinner later, if you want!’

Deimos, thinking with his stomach, nodded energetically and agreed.

‘Cool! It’s a date then!’ Lio replied without hesitation or care for his choice of words.

Deimos was not, however, and was puzzled after hearing that word. What was Lio doing? What was going on? He was really confused, but dismissed that he was thinking too much, and decided to just go with the flow, as Rhen once advised him to. There were stairs branching up and away from the canteen to the third and fourth level of Astera, located just before the entrance of the canteen.

‘The third floor via this direction is where the, umm... VIPs, if you would, stay. So people like my father and I stay there. All the council members as well.’ Lio said this hesitantly because he never approved of this kind of segregation, but he had no say in this decision making anyway, so he decided not to harp on it anymore. He looked over to Deimos, who was still taking it all in.

‘And now that you know where I stay, you’re welcome anytime. Just please make a noise or a sound before you enter, in case I’m in the middle of something.’ Deimos’ mind was now running wild, and for some reason, the only thing that he could imagine Lio being in the ‘middle’ of was masturbating. This erotic thought filled his mind, and he could soon feel his crotch beginning to warm up and expand. Blood was also rushing to his face, causing him to blush a little as well. He closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously, as if to shake the thought away. Lio saw this, and asked, now with his hand on Deimos’ right shoulder,

‘Hey hey hey! You ok? What’s wrong?’

‘Uhh... Nothing. There was a... Fly in my hair. It’s gone now.’ Deimos panicked, responding with a quick and sloppy excuse. Lio looked at his hair, and only now noticed that his hair was a very soft blue-ish white, which really fit with his whole look despite the large contrast it had with his brownish tanned skin. It was unusual for hunters to go for this sort of coloured hair because it was not practical when hunting in the wild. But then again, it may have been a natural colour, so he didn’t assume anything. Lio was getting very amused with Deimos’ weird behaviour that it only seemed to make him even more curious about who he was and his story. He ended his tour by looking up at the huge suspended ship that was supported by both the huge pulley system that functions the lift, and the Ancient Tree that Astera was built in such close proximity to.

‘And that, is our gathering hub, the fourth and highest level of Astera. That’s where hunters go to mingle, and relax after a hard day’s work. Or just after a hard day. Or just after a day, sometimes. It doesn’t matter, we go up there to relax and chill.’ Lio now turned to Deimos, ‘you wanna take a look?’

‘No, its fine. I’m thinking we should probably head back. Thanks for the tour, I feel so much more at home now.’ Deimos replied with a smile.

‘My pleasure man’, Lio said, as the two headed back down to the council table to commence the meeting.


	7. Full Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘So Zogaros is this mountain that was sleeping at the bottom of the ocean and is waking up now?’ Rhen said in a very serious tone.

‘Zorah Magdaros. And he’s not a mountain, he’s an Elder Dragon, the first monsters to ever set foot on...’ one of the top scholars at the council table was trying to explain to Rhen, when he was interrupted again by her,

‘Ya ok fine, Elder Dragon Zingagros, who is not a mountain, is waking up and walking around in the middle of the ocean, and we need to kill it?’ Rhen was focusing very hard, a popping vein now visible on her forehead.

‘ZORAH. MAGDAROS.! And no, we don’t want to kill it, we want to...’

‘Well then why are we here? We’re hunters, we hunt things. And we kill them...’ Rhen stopped herself when she saw Deimos and Lio returning to them. She now turned to them and said,

‘Oh my god thank goodness you two are back. This buffoon has been telling me about Zormarah being a bomb and that he might explode at any time, killing all of us and part of the Old World with it...’ Rhen was exhausted after saying that, taking a breath before continuing, ‘you guys talk to him, I can’t...’ The scholar had his hand across his face, not being able to tolerate Rhen’s idiocy.

‘Thank you everyone for gathering here on such short notice, but the events of yesterday just proved to us that we can no longer delay our investigation into Zorah Magdaros. Dr Ena, please bring our newcomers up to speed and update the rest of us with any new information your team might have found.’ Rion addressed the council.

‘Very well Sir. As I was trying to explain to the three newcomers earlier, Zorah Magdaros is an Elder Dragon. Not just any Elder Dragon, but a primordial one.’ At this, Eros got excited and asked,

‘You mean he’s one of the Five?’

‘Yes, we believe he is.’ Rhen was confused and looked at Deimos, who exchanged confused looks with her too.

‘Any idea what they are talking about?’ She whispered to Deimos.

‘I’ve heard of the Tale of the Five, but I always thought they were nothing more than a legend...’ Deimos replied.

‘We believe that Zorah is dying. And like all creatures in the New World, they go to the Rotten Vale to do so. However, Zorah does not seem to be heading towards the Rotten Vale, he is off course.’

‘So where is he heading, Doctor?’ Rion asked.

‘We do not know at the moment Sir. We are unable to study his movements and intentions because we cannot get close enough to him. The camps in the Ancient Forest and the Coral Highlands are overrun by monsters, and I will not risk the lives of anymore of my researchers.’ Dr Ena insisted.

‘And nobody’s asking you to, that’s why we have these guys’ Rion now looking at the four new arrivals.

‘So our first priority is to establish specific camps in specific regions. How exactly will that help?’ Rhen asking the first legitimate question since she arrived in Astera.

‘Well, if my scholars are able to get close enough to Zorah, we will be able to narrow down his true intentions and maybe streamline our possible options as to where he might be headed to. You noticed how his back was moulting molten rock? The fluid we call magma is actually Zorah’s life force, his blood, in simplistic terms. So by studying it, we can actually find out what the creature might be suffering from, or what it intends to do. But we have yet to collect a fresh sample because every time we locate his moulted rock, and it has already hardened and cooled. That’s why we need to regain control of the camps closer to him, allowing my team to collect fresh samples and begin accurate study on the creature. Even the statement about Zorah Magdaros dying was just pure speculation, but a lot of the evidence we currently have seems to point toward that conclusion.’ Dr Ena replied with a very well-thought answer.

Rhodes was awfully quiet because she was deep in thought. She finally spoke up and said,

‘So the scholars need fresh samples from Zorah to study correct?’

‘Yes young lady.’

‘Securing the bases might take some time, time which we do not have. Might I suggest that we get our hunters to maybe collect the sample for you instead?’ Rhodes gave Dr Ena an inquisitive stare.

‘Hmm... That might actually work. It saves us time and it saves you guys the trouble of fighting off monsters. There’s only one issue, we are purposefully far away from Zorah to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with the beast. So wherever Zorah is, that’s where the commission won’t be, which means...’

‘We’re on our own’, Deimos said, completing the doctor’s sentence.

‘Yes, my dear hunter.’

The council table fell silent, and Eros spoke up saying,

‘How about we do a focused control?’ Everyone looked up at him, wondering what he meant. Rion encouraged him,

‘Go on son, we’re listening.’

‘Ok. Well Lio mentioned that we have groups that were split to establish control over different areas right? And if I remember correctly, we know that the New World has 4 main areas: the Ancient Forest, the Wildspire Waste, the Coral Highlands, and the Rotten Vale. And since Dr Ena mentioned that we need the Ancient Forest and Coral Highland camps in order to study Zorah more closely, I was thinking...’ Eros was interrupted by Lio, who finished his idea.

‘We could focus all our efforts on those two regions first! Yeah, I think that’s a great idea!’ Eros was glaring at Lio, irritated that he just stole his fire. Eros continued,

‘And then the four of us can go to specific areas within the Ancient Forest and Coral Highlands where the researchers are needed to regain control even faster. That way, we won’t be that far from help, and the researchers can get to work faster as well.’ Everyone at the table was deliberating this idea, and talking amongst themselves. The frequent nods among them were a clear indication that many of them were in favour of Eros’ plan.

Deimos grabbed Eros’ left shoulder with his left arm and squeezed it hard saying,

‘Good job dude’. Eros sneaked a smile at this.

After a few minutes, Rion spoke up,

‘I think we can all agree that unless someone else comes up with another plan, Eros’ idea holds significant weight and I am willing to go along with it. Are there any strong objections?’ The table was silent.

‘Alright, everyone knows their duties, let’s get that son of a bitch. Dismissed!’

‘Hey, thanks for sharing your brilliant idea just now!’ Lio came over to Eros, patting him on the back.

Eros, still irritated, responded,

‘Ohh, yeah no problem.’ Lio could tell he was irritated, but he chose not to care and continued talking to him.

‘Hey listen, are you and Deimos close?’ This question piqued Eros’ attention and he became defensive saying,

‘Well yeah! Sure we are. We knew each other for 5 years, and you only knew him for 1 day. What makes you think you can compare yourself to me?’ Eros covered his mouth after he said this, realising he said too much.

‘Woah woah, I’m not trying to compare anyone to anybody. Listen, I just thought your friend was interesting, and I wanted to get to know him better. And seeing as though you are the closest to him among the group, I figured I should start with you.’ Lio explained. Eros started to feel bad, but at the same time he didn’t like the amount of interest Lio had for Deimos. Sure, even if it wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t something Eros enjoyed. But ultimately, who Deimos spent him time with was none of his business, and Deimos did look happy when spending time with Lio. He turned to Lio, and gave him a threatening glare for a few seconds, causing Lio to take a few steps back. But shortly after, the fierce look subsided as Eros let out a deep sigh before asking,

‘Yeah sure, what do you want to know?’

Lio relaxed, and came closer again,

‘How did you guys meet? And how was he like?’

Eros reluctantly started his story, and told Lio everything from the first day they met. How fierce Deimos was, how disinterested he was in everything, and how confident he was as well. He always seemed so sure about everything, and had an answer or solution to every problem in front of him. Of course he left out the part about their sexuality, or at least his, as far as he was concerned, Deimos was still confused anyway.

‘Hmm... Confident you say... I see.’

Eros perked his eyebrow and asked,

‘Why? Is something wrong?’

‘No not really, he just reminds me a lot of myself when I was in the Old World.’ When he said this, Eros looked away, as if disinterested. Lio then came in closer and whispered to him,

‘Look, I see the way you look at him, and I see the way you behave around him. I get it, and I’m not trying to do anything. I’m happy for you guys, and I genuinely want things to work out. But I am really just trying to get to know my hunters better because I want our relationship to last even beyond the field. Maybe I should just put it as I’m trying hard to join the squad, and I really hope you guys would have me. At least give me a chance?’ These were not words Eros was expecting, definitely not from his superior and team leader. A leader, asking for acceptance? It should be given freely or taken by authority. This made it very difficult for Eros to remain angry with Lio as he turned towards him and smiled.

‘Alright. Yeah I guess I was being a little overprotective. I’m sorry.’

Lio nudged him in the shoulder and winked at him saying,

‘Don’t be sorry, it’s very sweet of you. Deimos is lucky to have you’.

‘Hey, what are you guys talking about?’ Deimos appeared from behind the two. Lio stood up straight and Eros looked away. Lio turned to Deimos and said,

‘Ohh nothing, I was just trying to get to know my squad mates better. We are, after all, going to be hunting and watching each other’s backs out there.’ Deimos was a little excited when he heard this, and asked,

‘Wait, you mean you’re coming with us on these hunts? I thought you had your own elite group to hunt with.’

‘Ohh no, my original team has now been broken up to be leaders for the different groups of hunters for the different regions. So from now on, I guess you guys will be my new squad, and everywhere you go, I go. Forget that I’m your team leader, we’re a single unit.’ Deimos let loose an uncontrollable smile on his face.

‘Aww man, that’s gonna be awesome!’ Deimos’ excitement was increasing by the minute, which made him seem like a totally different person altogether. Eros was affected by this, but he could not figure out what it was. I guess he was both jealous and frustrated, at not only the fact that he could not make Deimos react like this, but also the fact that Lio could. Eros started to feel his heart breaking, and his chest started to hurt. He tried to endure this torment, but after awhile it became a little too much that he left abruptly.

‘Hey, where are you going?’ Deimos asked, as Eros started walking away.

‘Back to the bunk, I uhh... I’m gonna take a nap. You guys carry on.’ Eros turned around quickly, so that no one could see the tears falling from his eyes. Deimos could somehow feel that something was not right, and so he turned to Lio, Rhen and Rhodes and told them that he was going to go back with Eros and make sure he’s ok.

‘Leave Phobos with us, I don’t spend enough time with this cutey pie!’ Rhen had here arm stretched out, eager to hold Phobos. Deimos reluctantly signalled Phobos to stay with them, as he went after Eros.

Back at the bunk, Eros was a mess. He was crying and sobbing his heart out. It was easy to do it when there was no one around, since his pride wouldn’t get in the way. His tears were not that of anger, but rather sadness and helplessness. He loved Deimos, and knew that Deimos loved him too, and while he meant it when he valued Deimos’ happiness above all else, seeing him with Lio somehow tore him into pieces internally. It was painful, no, agonising. The thought of it just caused the tears to continue gushing out. As he was seated on his bed, he heard footsteps getting louder, which gave him time to wipe away his tears, in case it was someone planning to enter his bunk. True enough, his door opened, and Deimos was standing there, looking at him concerned. Deimos saw Eros’ flushed face, and his eyes watery and red. He had been crying, he thought to himself.

Deimos’ chest started to ache now, he hated seeing Eros like this, or anyone, for that matter, that he cared about. He walked towards Eros, maintaining eye contact with him, and eventually sitting down next to him.

‘Talk to me. What is it?’ At these gentle words, Eros’ flood gates opened once again. He looked away from Deimos and down at his thighs as his tears started dripping down from his face. He wanted to speak, but he couldn’t. Deimos was just left sitting there, watching his friend weeping uncontrollably, and he felt extremely helpless too. So out of instinct, he grabbed Eros by the shoulders and pressed his head against his chest, embracing him. The moment Eros felt Deimos’ skin, he seemed to relax immediately, and while still sobbing, it started to slow down. Eros returned the embrace, by wrapping his arms around Deimos’ body, feeling the strong core that his man possessed, hugging it tightly. The two of them remained in this position for what seemed like an eternity, without exchanging any words. Once the sobbing stopped, Eros loosened his hug, and slowly lifted his head to look at Deimos. To his surprise, Deimos was coming in uncomfortably close, and finally landed a kiss directly on his lips.

Deimos pressed his face quite forcefully onto Eros’, and placed a hand at the back of his neck to make sure he couldn’t escape from it. Deimos closed his mouth slightly while still in contact with Eros’ lips, in a biting motion before opening it again as if to readjust his kiss. As he did this, Eros could feel Deimos’ tongue caress his lips ever so slightly. This sent a wave of ecstasy up to his brain, as well as the rest of his body and he shook involuntarily. Recovering from the shock, Eros now started to push back, causing Deimos to now start leaning back, until eventually laying on Eros’ bed. With Eros now lying on top of Deimos, with their lips still connected, Deimos shifted his grip to Eros’ waist, holding onto it firmly. Eros reluctantly broke loose from the kiss and opened his eyes, looking at Deimos now lying down on his bed. Eros was smiling at him, but then the smile faded away. Deimos placed his right hand on Eros’ left cheek,

‘What’s wrong?’ Eros then placed his left hand over Deimos’ hand that was on his cheek.

‘Is this what you want? I mean, are you happy?’ Eros asked, now looking away from Deimos. Deimos shifted his hand from Eros’ cheek to his chin to turn his head back so that he was looking at Deimos again.

‘I love you Eros, and I don’t know if this is what I want but I am happy when you’re around. And for now, that’s enough.’ Deimos’ hand now transitioned to the back of Eros’ neck again and pulled him in for another kiss. This time, Eros did not resist, and felt relaxed after hearing the words that Deimos said. The kiss began similarly to how the first one started as well, gentle and slow. The moment Deimos exhaled through his nose, however, a suddenly surge of energy was felt by the two warm bodies as Deimos arched his back slightly, pushing his face into Eros’ again. He forced a response with his right hand still behind Eros’ neck, pushing Eros’ lips against his own, feeling contented with the forced retaliation. As Eros felt Deimos’ heart rate increase, it fuelled his own testosterone, causing his hands to now begin exploring the long awaited body of his lover. He started from the bottom of Deimos’ abs, where his oblique was, with a distinct toned V-shape muscle. He ran both of his hands slowly from there upward, feeling the contours of his six pack abs, resisting the force of his hands and retaining their shape. He made his way to his huge chests, where he felt Deimos’ nipples, resting comfortably atop the solid, round foundation. The moment Eros’ fingers came in contact with them, Deimos let out a soft moan while still maintaining his kiss, exhaling a breath of warm air into Eros’ cheeks. Eros’ right hand continued upwards while his left hand remained on Deimos’ right nipple, teasing it. His right hand made a sharp right onto this shoulder, where a depression was felt, before another bulge, to which Eros squeezed hard. This now made Eros squeal in delight, as he rubbed his pelvis against Deimos’. The fabric of their trousers creating friction that teased the already hardened member that was hiding within the two individuals’ undergarments. Instinctively, this wave of pleasure caused Eros’ legs to spread a little wider, making him now lie lower and closer to Deimos, making their kiss a little easier to maintain. With his crotch now resting on Deimos’ abs, Deimos could feel the intense heat that was radiating from Eros’ trousers. It was so distracting that he broke away from the kiss, and transitioned his hands from Eros’ neck and waist to his now pulsating chest, and he pushed him up. Eros was now seated up straight, and Deimos pulled the black cloth from round his neck, dropping it on the floor by the bedside. Deimos’ now free hands turned their attention to Eros’ trousers, undoing them. Eros was in cloud nine, and shut his eyes, to heighten his sense of touch. Deimos made quick work of his trousers, revealing a loose pair of boxers inside, that had the outline of an already hardened penis. Deimos grabbed the boxers, and pulled it down to free the 5-inch throbbing member, and leaned in as he took it into his mouth. His first blow was not adventurous, since he wasn’t experienced, and didn’t know how much he could take. He went about half way before retreating. His second blow, however, was nothing like the first. He went all in, taking the whole shaft into his mouth. Eros could feel the tip of his cock reach the back of Deimos’ throat, causing it to twitch slightly. This made Deimos gag a bit, and pulled back immediately.

‘I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to...’ Eros began speaking but his mouth was covered by Deimos’ hand who didn’t even look up because he was more engrossed with what was in front of him. Deimos used this opportunity to place his hands on Eros’ thighs, and dragged him in so that he now sat on Deimos’ chest. Then with a little nudge in the upward direction, Eros found himself arched over Deimos’ face, with his dick positioned nicely over his mouth. Deimos gave a reassuring smile, and Eros’ obliged. He slotted his shaft back into Deimos’ mouth, and began using his pelvis to thrust. Deimos didn’t move, allowing Eros to adjust how deep he wanted to penetrate. It was now Deimos’ turn to explore Eros’ body. He moved his hands from his muscular thighs, upward by his side. His right hand went onto his abs, while his left groped his meaty rear cheeks, giving them a gentle squeeze. Eros’ abs were rock hard, even though not as defined as his. Deimos’ right hand continued moving up where he too, found Eros’ nipples. He began teasing the right one with his index fingers, causing Eros to moan a little. Deimos could feel the thrusts beginning to speed up, and that was when he decided to bring his hands back down to Eros’ waist to regain a bit of control. With every forward thrust Eros made, Deimos would push in the opposite direction just a little, so that he would not receive the full force of Eros’ powerful cock in his throat. After a few more thrusts, Deimos felt like his groin was going to erupt, with all that pent up energy. He sent this signal to Eros in a very subtle manner by pushing his waist such that his thrust slowed down significantly. This made Eros open his eyes, and look down at Deimos’ face. He gave Eros a smile, before pushing him back, now sitting on top of his abs again. Deimos got up from his lying down position to begin licking and kissing his abs. The taste of his skin was a little salty from the accumulated sweat, and this taste in Deimos’ mouth turned him on quite a bit. This made him arch his pelvis upward to where Eros’ butt was, jerking him a bit. Eros got the message, loud and clear. He got off of Deimos, and knelt on the floor, pulling Deimos’ coil and greaves off. His 6-inch shaft was now fully erect and pulsing with heat, the tip swollen red and begging for attention. Eros’ was more than happy to get to work.

Eros’ blew Deimos’ dick in a very different manner, possibly because of the position he was in. He positioned Deimos’ shaft vertically up and supported it at the base with one hand, while moving his head up and down. He did so slowly at first, but then started to pick up the pace. Deimos was in bliss, he had not felt this kind of pleasure in, well, ever. His could feel the waves of pleasure resonating with each up-down motion Eros’ head made. And the moment Deimos thought this couldn’t get any better, he felt a finger penetrate into his anus. The first thing he felt was pain, enough to make him wail.

‘Ahh!’ he squint his eyes as Eros’ fingers went in.

Eros pulled out immediately, and looked over at Deimos with a concerned look, stopping his blowjob while doing so. He did feel that Deimos’ hole was a little tight, and so he didn’t dare push too hard. Deimos looked down at Eros’ face, and gave him a reassuring smile, putting his hand on his head, and directing it back to his rod. Eros then decided to use his free hand, to slide up Deimos’ body, where it stopped at his face. Originally unsure of what to do, Deimos just stared at Eros’ hand, puzzled. Until Eros shoved his index and middle finger into Deimos’ mouth, performing the same in-out motion, coating them in saliva. Deimos cooperated, now applying a bit of pressure by sucking them, and caressing them with his tongue a little. After a short while, Eros pulled them out, and inserted them into his own anus. He seemed proficient enough, clearly having done it before, he went through a circular motion, going deeper, and deeper after each circle he drew. It did cause an initial moan of pain, and Deimos could feel it physically, because he felt Eros’ teeth on his now sensitive head, but resisted the urge to react to it. Eros then stood up, with his fingers still in his anus, went back on top of Deimos and positioned his buttocks above Deimos’ now saliva drenched dick. Deimos helped him by propping it up, and allowed Eros to lower himself as he accepted Deimos’ shaft into his well lubricated hole. Once inserted, the two howled in pleasure, Deimos’ howl lasting longer, this being his first time. Eros then began using his hips and legs, to move his whole body vertically to pleasure the both of them. Deimos, still lying down, decided to help a little by placing his hands below Eros’ thighs, to relieve some of the weight. After awhile, Deimos grabbed Eros’ still hardened member with his left hand, and started stroking it. He could feel the pre-cum starting ooze out, and he started spreading the lubricant all around the head of Eros’ shaft. Eros’ was in heaven, as his up-down motion started to speed up. Deimos could feel Eros’ body temperature rising through his hardened member being inside of him. Seeing that Eros was close to his orgasm, Deimos decided to speed things up. He lifted his own waist, and began assisting in the thrusting motion by moving his hips. The two of them moved in tandem, which cause their senses to explode with pleasure. The two of them soaked in sweat and panting, Eros’ opened his eyes and said to Deimos,

‘I’m close’.

Deimos was close too, so he pulled out, and got Eros to sit in front of him such that their thighs were interlocked, Eros’ over Deimos’, and their rods face-to-face. Deimos used his right hand to grab both of them, and began moving it up and down. Eros had never thought of this position before, and he started moving his hips, causing Deimos’ hand and penis to fall out of sync. Deimos quickly adjusted, and he too started thrusting his hips. Their panting was starting to get louder, and Deimos was hoping that they could ejaculate together. Unfortunately, he released his load first. A stream of white liquid burst from his head, and onto Eros’ sweaty body. He squirt four times, each time unloading more of his semen onto Eros, coating him messily. Eros was very turned on by this, and could not hold in his load for much longer either, so he decided to get up, since Deimos was done, and sat on his abs once again. He arched his back so that his dick rested on Deimos’ cleavage; the distinct valley present between his bulging chests, and began thrusting there. Soon, Eros’ unloaded all over Deimos’ chest and face. Eros’ ejaculation had three squirts instead of four, after the first squirt landing on Deimos’ face, he pulled back a little and unloaded the remaining two onto his chest and abs. The white substance flowed naturally along the contours of Deimos’ well defined abs and chest, allowing gravity to dictate where they went. His semen was thicker, and a more solid shade of white, while Deimos’ was considerably more watery. Eros was now sitting on Deimos’ abs again, panting and looking at his lover, exhausted as well. The two looked at each other, and Eros went in for one more kiss, before sitting up again. He looked at his own body, vandalised by Deimos’ semen, and used his right index finger to collect a bit of the white substance, before saying,

‘I wonder how you taste like’, and put the whole finger in his mouth. Deimos looked at his face, a little concerned, and then Eros nodded and smiled at him saying,

‘Mmm... Quite sweet!’ Deimos heaved a sigh of relief, now looking at his semen-covered body, tempted to do the same thing. He took his right index finger, collecting a bit of it from his cheek, but as he was about to put it in his mouth, Eros grabbed his arm saying,

‘Don’t! Mine’s a little salty, you may not like it!’ Deimos then used his left hand to hold Eros’ hand, releasing his grip on his feeding hand, as he put his finger into his mouth, licking it clean. A frown slowly appeared on his face, followed by him sticking out his tongue.

‘Yup... salty...!’ Deimos complained.

Eros stared at him, saying, ‘I told you!’ Deimos laughed, and sat up giving Eros a kiss. This time pushing his tongue into Eros’ mouth, as if wanting to steal a taste of his own seed, or to give a bit of Eros’ seed back to him. After finishing the kiss, he pulled back and teased,

‘You’ve tasted your own semen before?’ giving Eros a judgemental look.

Eros pushed him back down, unappreciative of the tease and the two just lay by each other for awhile, before cleaning up.

‘I really hope Eros is alright. What the hell happened anyway?’ Rhen asked.

‘No idea. He rarely runs off like that.’ Rhodes replied.

‘Well I was talking to him and trying to find out more about the squad, since I’ll be working with you guys a lot in the near future. So I just decided to ask him about Deimos, since he is probably the hardest person to crack. The three of you are easy, well, easier...’ Lio was in the middle, when Rhen shouted at him.

‘Well grizzly shit, I’m not easy, for your information. In fact, I’m harder than you’ll ever be after you see a naked lady showering!’ Lio chuckled to himself, responding,

‘Rhen, you are a confident and well-skilled hunter. You are sensitive to the people around you, and you know what they need. That’s why people stay by your side. But you have this weird fear that seriousness behaves like a wet blanket in a conversation, and so you use humour to cover it up. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that there really isn’t a need to do it all the time.’ Rhen was a little embarrassed that Lio really knew her quite well despite the short amount of time they spent together.

‘Say what you want Kulu face, don’t pretend you know me!’ Lio knew he had gotten to her, and was now chuckling away. Rhodes found it interesting though, that Lio could see through people with such ease, but before she could start a conversation with him, Lio stood up and said,

‘I’d better go check on them. Besides, I’m supposed to meet Deimos soon.’

‘Meet him for what?’ Rhen stared at Lio with only one eye open.

‘Ohh, just to settle some logistical, administrative stuff. Come on Phobos!’

Phobos leapt off Rhen’s lap, and followed Lio by his side. Rhen was now leaning towards Rhodes and said,

‘You know, I kinda like him, but I kinda don’t like him. You feel me?’

Rhodes was just staring at Lio’s muscular frame as he walked into the distance, beginning to daydream,

‘Yeah, I feel him...’

‘What? No, no, not him! Me!’ Rhen was agitated, so she grabbed Rhodes’ hand and made her grope her left breast. Rhodes broke out of the daze upon feeling the slightly solid boob, and turned around to Rhen, pushing her away from her face.

‘Do you really have to go?’ Eros had his arms around Deimos’ neck, while Deimos had his on Eros’ waist.

‘I kinda promised to meet him, so I guess so. I won’t be long, I promise.’ Deimos pulled Eros in for a short kiss, before walking towards the door. As he opened the door, Phobos darted straight into the bunk and he saw Lio standing there, his right hand about to knock the door. Deimos looked at him and before Lio could say a word, Deimos covered his mouth with his hand and pushed him back a few steps so that he could leave the bunk, and close the door behind him. Lio was a bit shocked, and asked him,

‘Everything alright?’

‘Not here’, Deimos said quickly, grabbing Lio’s left arm with his right hand, and dragging him out of the living quarters and back into Astera.


	8. Questions of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

‘Hey, stop for a second!’ Lio still being dragged by Deimos. Deimos was ignoring him, and was focused on getting Lio as far away from his bunk as possible. After allowing Deimos to drag him for a few more seconds, he finally stood his ground and jerked his left arm back, causing Deimos to lose his grip on him. Deimos stopped, but didn’t turn around to look at Lio, he was panting mildly. The two of them stopped in the middle of nowhere, in between the trading port and the living quarters where hardly anyone was. It was evening and the sun was setting, about 6pm.

‘Do you mind telling me, what the hell is going on with you? You’ve been acting strange all day, you just disappeared for about an hour, now dragging me all over the place refusing to speak to me?’ Lio paused for a moment, looking at Deimos’ back. ‘It doesn’t take a person who knows you well to figure out that something is seriously wrong.’

Deimos’ had no emotion on his face, some may even describe him as having an expression of being lost, and that would’ve been an accurate word to describe his heart right now. He wasn’t crying, but he sure as hell felt like doing so. He just had the most wonderful experience in his life with Eros, and yet, he was not satisfied. Of course he didn’t mean physically, he was thoroughly satisfied in that aspect, but he meant emotionally. For some reason, Deimos didn’t feel he could be himself around Eros. It was an amalgamation of mixed emotions in Deimos now, and he felt like laying down, closing his eyes and forgetting that all of this ever happened. Was he happy with Eros? Yes, he didn’t lie. But he did not see a clear future with him. He was blind when he tried to think about it as his mind went blank. Which didn’t mean anything, to be honest, especially how unpredictable matters of the heart seemed to have proven themselves to be in Deimos’ experience so far. His body felt light, but not in a good way, his knees gave way, causing him to fall to the ground, as the flood gates finally opened.

‘I don’t know what I’m doing Lio...’ Deimos now having tears running down his face. He wasn’t sobbing, and neither was he panting. Lio walked over to him, and squatted down beside him looking at him in the eyes. Deimos expected to see compassion, but he saw an uncomfortably stern look on Lio’s face. It caused Deimos to feel slightly afraid.

‘None of us do, Deimos.’ Lio’s voice was now cold and serious. ‘And so you think just because you are lost, the people around you have to take your shit? The people who care about you have to suffer? Is that how you treat the people you love?! Rhen? Rhodes? Phobos? And even Eros?’ Lio was raising his voice a little as he said this. Deimos rarely allowed anyone to scream at him like this, but the amount of truth in Lio’s words forced him to bite his tongue in silence. Shame was the next emotion that trickled in, because there was a line Lio said that was familiar, and it was not the first time Deimos heard it. Deimos was not conscious of it then, and clearly he still wasn’t now. And it took another stranger to knock some sense into him, making him realise what he was doing to the people around him. Seeing that Deimos was quiet with no response, tears still dripping slowly from his eyes and onto the floor now, Lio decided to lower his tone, and switch back to that of compassion.

‘Look man, everyone has problems, and you may think that keeping things to yourself spares them from your pain. But the truth is, we know who you are, and seeing you like this pains us. Your problem is our problem, and we are here to help your burdens feel less overwhelming. Is that not what loved ones are for?’ Lio now placed his right hand on Deimos’ wet left cheek and turned his face to now look at him. Deimos was touched by Lio’s words, he hadn’t heard anyone speak to him in such a reassuring and sincere manner. He really felt like he could trust him and be himself around him. Instinctively, he burrowed his head onto Lio’s left shoulder, pushing his left cheek against his neck, wrapping his arms around his chest. Lio was not expecting the hug, but he wasn’t surprised either, as he returned it calmly.

‘Don’t create your own prison, my friend. You’ll only make things worse. Your friends are here for you, we have always been.’ At these words, Deimos let out the rest of his pent up frustration in the form of tears. The two stayed in this manner for a little more than a minute, before getting up and leaving towards the canteen.

‘So! What would you like to try? There’s steak, baked rice with cheese, the seafood platter,...’ Lio was staring at the counter, almost drooling at the sight of all the food.

‘Uhh... Anything is fine. I’m not really hungry.’ Deimos was looking down with his right elbow rested on the table, and his right hand clenched into a fist supporting his head. Deimos’ disinterested response caused Lio to turn to him and say,

‘Aww com’on dude, you were looking forward to the food this afternoon, I’m sure you must be famished by now. I’ll order one of everything for you to try!’ Lio ignored Deimos’ answer and went ahead to order one of everything, including two pints of wyvern amber ale; a slightly spiced and fragrant beverage that is made bitter with a sweet aftertaste from the long, tedious brewing of the Tobi-Kadachi’s lightning glands. It might help explain the literal tingling sensation whenever you swallow a mouthful of this liquor. Lio arrived at the table, with his arms full of food, and placed them in front of Deimos, then waited for him to try the food, excited to hear his verdict. Deimos looked at all the food, and while he was hungry, he had no appetite. But to prevent being a wet blanket, he picked up a seafood kebab, which had prawns, squid, and fish on it, and tried that first. The piping hot prawn was the first to enter his mouth, when an explosion of sweet juices filled the inside of his mouth. It slowly changed as the seasoning of the prawn meat laced his tongue with a gradual salty sensation. It was delightful. The next was the squid that was rather chewy and rubbery, but had an interesting sweetness to it as well. The fish was last, and it was soft and tender, the meat breaking apart once a little pressure was introduced. The soft white meat ended the experience of the single kebab with a nice sweet and salty aftertaste, where the barbeque fire could be tasted still. Deimos’ eyes lit up a little, and heard his stomach begin to rumble again, as if asking him for more. He looked up at a still eager Lio, staring at him and waiting.

‘It’s... really good.’ Lio laughed after hearing that and was elated to see Deimos enjoy the food. He raised his mug and extended his arm towards Deimos, with it now suspended in the air in the middle of the table.

‘Ohh, I don’t drink...’ Lio rolled his eyes, with his mug still in the middle of the table.

‘Pfft, who are you kidding? Everyone drinks, it’s just a matter of when they decide to start! Now, pick up your bloody mug, my arm’s getting sore.’ Deimos noticed Lio’s right arm was starting to have veins popping out of its muscular frame. He gave in, and picked up his mug, colliding it with Lio’s mug. Misjudging the amount of force, some of their drink spilled over the food they ordered, adding a little more seasoning to the already diverse flavours. Lio drank about 3 mouths full and gulped it down with ease, while Deimos took a little sip. The initial taste was horrid, a strong sting of bitterness made it feel like he was taking medicine. But gradually the bitterness flowed down with the fluid, leaving a rather sweet and tingling aftertaste in his mouth. Strangely, Deimos found himself quite fond of this newfound beverage. He lifted the mug to his mouth again, this time taking in a mouthful, and now the same experience replayed in his mouth but with more intensity. A much stronger bitter taste, but followed by a much sweeter aftertaste too. The cool temperature of the ale tying the whole experience together and washing down the strong salty flavours of the seafood kebab he had minutes ago, now his clean palette was ready for its next course.

‘Somebody seems to be enjoying his ale...’ Lio said from across the round table, clearly seeing Deimos go for a second mouth of ale. He was now looking at Deimos with cheeky eyes.

‘It’s really refreshing! I can see why people enjoy drinking so much now.’ Deimos was now lifting his mug for another mouthful.

‘Woah woah, easy there tiger, I don’t want you drunk before we even start our dinner.’ Lio reached across the table, holding Deimos’ right arm and stopping the mug from touching his mouth. Lio was strong, Deimos could feel the force of this man on his forearm, and he couldn’t overcome it even if he tried. It has been a long time since Deimos met an equal, and this added a little sense of excitement within him. Deimos allowed Lio to overpower him, lowering his mug back onto the table. The two continued eating, and soon all the food was finished.

‘Whoo... I’m stuffed!’ Deimos said with his hand now on his abs, a little less defined, with a little belly starting to form. Lio laughed and looked down at his own abs, still rock hard as ever.

‘Well, looks like somebody needs a workout soon.’ Lio teased.

Deimos looked down and saw the slight bulge, and agreed to himself. He wasn’t really bothered about his physique for its appearance, but he did need to keep in shape nonetheless. Lio was glad that Deimos lightened up over dinner and was able to enjoy himself. So taking a risk, he opened his mouth to revisit the uncomfortable topic.

‘So, you ready to talk now?’ Lio had his right hand holding his mug, and his left hand resting on the table as he asked. Deimos’ brightened face turned a little less bright as he started fumbling with his words, clearly nervous.

‘Uhh... I don’t know what to say or... Where to begin... I just...’

Lio chuckled, and interrupted him saying,

‘Maybe start with how you feel? Unprejudiced, untainted, pure and temperamental emotions. Go.’

Deimos’ eyes lit up. He has never met someone who was so direct and straightforward. It was as if Lio knew exactly how to deal with these situations. Well, Deimos didn’t know better, sure, but this advice did seem to convince him that they were headed in the right direction. So he started,

‘Well I feel frustrated.’

Lio smiled at him, knowing that he has begun something that would teach Deimos a valuable lesson.

‘Good start. Go on.’

‘I think it’s because...’ Lio’s eyes glared at Deimos, immediately stopping him,

‘Ahh ahh ahh... Emotions, not thoughts. I want to know what you feel, not what you think. Try again.’ Deimos was a little on edge now, he felt interrogated. But while this confrontation was uncomfortable, the gut feeling he had about this was still positive. So he obliged.

‘Right, sorry. Well besides feeling frustrated, I guess I feel lost too. Like everything I do seems to get me nowhere. Nowhere closer to the answers I seek. Every day, I end up with more questions than answers, and it’s driving me nuts! I can’t sleep, I can’t talk. I can barely lead a normal life!’ Lio allowed a few moments of silence, before beginning to speak.

‘And why would an extraordinary person, want an ordinary life?’ Deimos was a little embarrassed when he heard Lio call him that, but he tried his best to stay on topic and answer his question.

‘Because it saves me the trouble of going through these difficult situations! Normal people have it easy... They...’

‘Boring. The word you’re looking for is boring. Normal people have simple problems, but they are contented with simple rewards too. You have extraordinary people placed around you. You have extraordinary opportunities placed before you. And you are, extraordinary! Why would you want to short change yourself after being through so much?’ Deimos was deep in thought now. Lio continued,

‘I get it, you didn’t choose this life. But the point is now that you have been given it, there’s no turning back. And so the choice is yours whether you want to make the most of it or not.’ Deimos was yet again impressed by how confident and clear Lio was on these matters. So much so that he asked out of curiosity.

‘How is it that you sound so confident that this works?’ Lio chuckled at his question, looking down at his ale and tilting the mug to watch the contents flow around in his cup.

‘Nothing is for certain my friend. But I can tell you that I’ve been where you are now, and I had to figure a lot of this out on my own. It took me 3 years to realise that I had to learn to let go, and let life just take me wherever it wanted to while I make the best of whatever was thrown at me. I mean nobody beats a river into...’

‘Submission’, Deimos’ eyes were a little watery now, remembering the words of his mother, repeated to him by a second person now.

‘Yeah! So I found out that letting go is as difficult as being resilient. It’s all a matter of how honest you are with yourself in what you want, and making the best out of everything you have now. Do not throw any of it way, they are here for a reason.’ Deimos felt so liberated after hearing this, and empowered to a certain degree. This gave him a sense of comfort which he had not felt in a very long while. However, this moment was cut short by yet another question Lio threw at him.

‘And how are you and Eros holding up?’ Lio asked before taking a sip of his now lukewarm ale.

‘Eros? Well, he is uhh...’ Lio saw that Deimos was starting to act weird again, and so he assured him saying,

‘Don’t worry, I know what’s going on between the two of you. And I wanna know how you guys are doing. Are you guys ok?’ Deimos didn’t really know what to feel, he felt vulnerable that this man knew so much, but at the same time he was happy he knew because it saved him the trouble of explaining the embarrassing scenario.

‘I am very lost with Eros right now. I love him, sincerely and truthfully, but I feel like something is still missing, because I somehow feel that what we have, or what we think we can have, is not possible. I don’t really know how to put it.’ Deimos tried his best to remain composed as he explained.

‘I think you are afraid of losing yourself.’ Lio, once again saying this with such confidence. Deimos was beginning to feel the sense of comfort overpowering his sense of vulnerability, the more Lio exhibited his ability to empathise with him.

‘Listen, your heart is in the right place. You should not change for others. The people who love you as you are will flock to you naturally. And your partner, well, whoever that person may be should make you feel comfortable doing whatever it is you want to do. The moment you feel like you have to change, you are basically putting on a performance. And all performances eventually come to an end. So what then?’ Lio’s words had wisdom in it. Maybe they were spoken from experience? Deimos had no clue, but Lio’s words did sit very well with him. Despite all that, he still didn’t feel much better about his situation with Eros, he was worried of breaking his heart.

‘Now, you must be worried about breaking Eros’ heart by telling him this...’ Lio continued. Unbelievable, is this guy some sort of mind reader? Deimos thought.

‘But look at it this way, you two have already chosen to get to this point. From the way I see it, it’s just a matter of damage control. Tell him early to spare him from greater suffering. Or commit, and make it work.’

‘Commit? But didn’t you just say...’

‘To go with the flow? Yes, but I also said to make the most of what is given to you. Compromise makes relationships work. It’s nobody’s fault when a relationship doesn’t work buddy, but it is a clear sign that somebody has reached their limit as to how much they are willing to give in. And that measure, is very personal, and not to be judged.’ Lio was right, Deimos agreed with him fully. Lio somehow managed to magically put all of his emotions and thoughts into a succinct and concise manner. Deimos was really grateful, and was trying to take in as much as he could, valuing the advice that was just presented to him. Lio said in response to the long silence,

‘Well of course all of this is just my opinion, if you feel that it’s nonsense, we could always try to figure something else out...’ Lio now noticed Deimos smiling genuinely at him. Deimos opened his mouth and replied.

‘Thank you’. Lio was happy that he helped Deimos out of that messy situation, and knew what he had just spared the young man from. They finished their drinks, and decided to head back. They were now standing at the entrance of the canteen, Deimos looking at the stairs that descended to the ground floor and Lio looking at the stairs that ascended to the third floor.

‘What a lovely dinner, thanks for the company big guy!’ Lio said, nudging Deimos on his left shoulder.

Deimos sneaked a smile on his face and replied.

‘Yeah, thanks for the dinner and the chat. It was really helpful.’ Lio looked at Deimos’ face, still a little worried.

‘Want me to walk you back?’ Deimos’ eyes seemed to light up a little, but it dimmed quickly as he said,

‘Uhh, no. I think I need the time to myself. Thanks again, I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Lio nodded, before the two of them parted.

Deimos was determined to talk to Eros, but he didn’t know when, and much less how. It seemed so easy and straightforward with Lio, but now that he was left alone with his thoughts, he felt like he was falling back into his old habits again. Dammit Deimos, get a grip! His mind was mainly occupied by two questions: 1) what was it that he really wanted? And 2) how much was he willing to commit in a relationship? Those two seemed like the most important questions to him at the time, and he had to have an answer to them before speaking to Eros. The answer to 1) was quite clear to him, at least he thought so, but 2) was a difficult one because he had never been in a relationship before, and he didn’t really know how much was ‘enough’. He had no benchmark or reference point. All this thinking was starting to give Deimos a headache, so he decided to take a break from all of it, and enjoy the nice cooling stroll back to the bunk.

Deimos opened the door slowly, and found Eros playing with Phobos on the table. Eros was trying to tickle Phobos, while Phobos was trying to dodge and deflect his hands away. The two were so engrossed that they didn’t notice Deimos entering, standing at the door staring at them. Phobos froze a little during the sparring session, when his nose twitched at a familiar scent, he turned around and a sweet smile appeared on his face as he ran towards Deimos. Deimos returned the smile, and picked Phobos up by his armpits, and rested his forehead on Phobos’. The two of them closing their eyes, shutting out the rest of the world, and focusing their attention on each other’s breathing. After a brief moment, Deimos put him down, and Phobos ran toward his new bed, getting ready to sleep. Eros was now standing beside Deimos, with a pleasant smile on his face, as he leaned in for a kiss. Deimos reluctantly allowed, and returned it, unsure if it was going to be their last. But he pulled away prematurely and sighed before looking at Eros saying,

‘Can we talk?’ Eros’ face was now a little worried but he agreed, and they walked over to the table where they sat beside each other.

‘What is it?’ Eros initiated, seeing clearly that Deimos was a little nervous.

‘Well, I uhh... Want to talk about... Us...’ Eros face was surprisingly calm as he nodded.

‘Don’t take this the wrong way Eros, I do love you, everything I have said to you, I meant it. I like being around you and all, but I’m not sure if our relationship works.’ Eros was still listening calmly, as if encouraging Deimos to continue.

‘I... Well... The sex, I mean... Was great, but I don’t really know what it meant. I said that I was happy with you, and I loved you, and for now it was enough. But I have been looking beyond that, and I don’t really know what I see. Maybe you can see something that I can’t?’ Deimos was now eager to hear Eros say something. Anything at all, because the silence was gnawing away at him.

‘To be quite honest with you, I hesitated confessing to you back at camp because I was really afraid that my attraction towards you was purely physical. I mean, your body is a masterpiece.’ Deimos blushed at that compliment, and smiled at Eros.

‘And I am glad to have experienced it at least once. And like you said, the sex was great, but I too was thinking beyond that, and I can’t say for certain what exactly it is that I’m hoping to find. Of course, a part of me is still frightened of losing you and...’ Deimos at this point grabbed Eros’ hand tightly and said,

‘You will never lose me. I’m just saying that the nature of our relationship might make more sense platonically rather than romantically. And the last thing I want to do is hurt you because you do mean a lot to me, regardless of whether you’re my friend or... Well, boyfriend.’ Eros was touched by these words, and he still felt warm inside, despite this being sort of a breakup. Eros knew deep down that he could not give Deimos what he wanted, not as a lover at least, and he meant what he said that if this relationship was going to tear their friendship apart then he would want nothing to do with it. So he looked Deimos in the eye and said,

‘I will always love you, and I want you to be happy.’ Deimos now placed his right hand over Eros’ left cheek and replied,

‘And I will always love you too.’ The two looked at each other for awhile, until Eros broke the silence saying,

‘Does this mean that I won’t get to taste your semen again?’ Eros joked. Deimos shot him a look with a frown on his face, before he burst out laughing and pushed Eros away from him.

Deimos was elated that he managed to talk things out with Eros. He felt like a changed man, and was happy that the both of them could be honest with their feelings and each other. He felt good, and a wave of confidence filled his mind as it once did when he was in the military back in the Old World. He missed that feeling, it made him feel invincible. Deimos was still sitting at the table unpacking the last of his things, deciding that he might want to take a shower before going to bed. He saw that Eros had already fallen asleep, so he took his towel, and crept out of the room, careful not to wake him.

Deimos made his way to a now significantly quieter Astera with most of the shops and the canteen closed, it was quite a ghost town. He was happy to see this, because it meant the shower would probably be empty. The bathing area was not lit, but it wasn’t dark because the moon was overhead, illuminating the bath areas well due to the unpolluted air and clear night sky. Deimos felt relaxed and extremely comfortable at the sight of this, that he quickly undressed, and jumped into the cordoned off river. The stream was present but not very strong, a nice amount of force, pushing against his thighs, offering a sort of massage after a long day. There were rounded parts at the side of the river that were dug out unnaturally to serve as resting areas for those who didn’t appreciate the flowing force of the river. Deimos went over to one such spot, and sat down in the still waters.

He rested his elbows by the edge and straightened his legs, feeling his knees crack. He rested his whole body weight on his back, feeling the solid ground press against his bare skin. He now sat up, cupped his hands and submerged them to collect water before splashing it onto his face. Some of the droplets trickled into his mouth where he unintentionally tasted the tasteless but refreshing cool river water. He now leaned back again, and used his right hand to scoop some water, pouring it first over his left shoulder, guiding the moisture down his muscular arm, starting from his fully flexed triceps down to his now straightened elbow and ending at his forearm. He then repeated the same thing for his right side with his left hand. He now sat up again, straightening his back, beginning to try the same method for his back by first using his right hand, then his left. He couldn’t seem to wet his entire back, getting a little irritated that he could lift almost 90 kilograms in weight on one arm, but can’t even bathe himself properly. Frankly, his muscles were sort of in the way, because it limited how much his arms could go round his torso. As he was about to give up, he heard a familiar voice coming from behind.

‘You need help bud?’ He turned around to see Lio standing there with nothing but a towel round his waist. Deimos was both embarrassed and shy in his presence and was panicking in the water. So he let out a bit of a cough to buy him some time, before he responded,

‘Uhh... No, I’m good.’ Lio was unconvinced, so he took his towel off and threw it to one side, revealing his unerected penis hanging downward. He then entered the water, and started walking over to Deimos. Deimos eyes enlarged, and quickly looked away. His member was beginning to react to the magnificent scene that he had just witness. Fuck me! He thought, this showering session started out so well, but it was quickly beginning to be disastrous. Before long, he felt a pair of warm hands on his back, and he felt a cool sensation of water trickling from his shoulders, down to his lower back. Ohh man, this is not good. Deimos’ heart, mind and penis were racing, all of them demanding blood and attention when there was only enough for one at a time.

‘Gosh, why are you so tense? Re...lax!’ Lio pushed both his thumbs into Deimos’ back, slightly below his shoulder blades. This forced Deimos to sit up straight, and feel a wave of pleasure surge up and down his spine. The speed of straightening his back also caused his joints to crack, causing Lio to laugh.

‘No wonder you’re so stressed all the time. Your body is so stiff!’ Lio was now working his way lower, pressing and pushing the base of his palm along Deimos’ back, causing Deimos to unintentionally moan softly in pleasure. Lio heard it, and so he continued. He went lower, now at the base of his spine. His large hands grabbed Deimos around his waist, and positioned both his thumbs at the base of his lower back. Then he coordinated his thumbs to rub this region in a clockwise motion for his right thumb, and an anticlockwise motion for his left thumb. The amount of force was just right, and it caused Deimos to now close his eyes, and let out another soft moan of bliss. Lio then squeezed Deimos’ waist with the four fingers of each hand around his abs to sort of alert him that he was going up to his shoulders. Lio began a similar thumb motion on the back of Deimos’ shoulder with his four fingers of each hand wrapped over his upper chest. After each circular motion, Lio’s thumb would now slide along the shoulder line, starting from the arm, Lio would push inward until it reached the base of Deimos’ neck, before continuing up to the base of his skull. Deimos felt like he was losing control of his body, but in a good way. He felt his body relaxing, so much so that his mind dismissed all other thoughts, with his eyes closed, his full attention was on the hard and soft pushes of Lio’s hands. This made his erection die down unknowingly, as he was enjoying a different kind of pleasure. Lio repeated this motion a few more times, before a sharp sensation was felt on his right upper shoulder near his neck.

‘Oww!’ Deimos jerked a little bit.

‘Oops sorry, I didn’t mean to put my whole body weight on it. Come, let me try again.’ Lio apologised. Apparently he rested too much of his body weight on his elbow pressing on Deimos’ shoulder, attempting to release even more stress. His second try was much better, pain slowly turned into pleasure, and Deimos was able to relax once again. He felt a similar sensation now on the other shoulder. He soon felt the warm hands upon his cheeks. Lio was holding on to his head. This sensation was enough to make Deimos open his eyes now, unsure of what sensation he was going to feel next. Lio slowly turned his head to the right, then to the left, followed by looking down, and then looking up. When he looked up, he saw Lio’s face staring at him, upside down, when Lio decided that this was a good time to start a conversation,

‘So, what brings you here so late at night?’ still holding Deimos’ head.

‘Uhh... I wanted to come here when there was nobody so I could take a shower alone.’ Deimos explained.

‘What’s wrong with showering with the other guy-... Ohh... I see...’ Lio teased Deimos, now giving him a little cheeky smile, still looking into his deep blue eyes. Deimos was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable and tried to break free from Lio’s hold but couldn’t. Lio was much stronger than he was, and he was forced to stay in this position. After holding on for a little while longer, Lio decided to let go, and push him lightly from the back,

‘Haha, I’m just messing with you.’ Deimos wanted to turn around and retaliate, but he was frozen still when he was faced with Lio’s now fully erected 7-inch shaft, pulsing and staring at him. Lio didn’t flinch, in fact he had his hands by his waist, completely ignoring his erected member. He unwillingly addressed the elephant in the room as he sighed and placed his hand below Deimos’ chin, lifting it up so that they were looking at each other eye-to-eye,

‘Eyes up, big boy. I’m up here.’ Deimos moved a few steps back and sat down, leaning back against the edge again. Lio now jumping in and sitting across him in a similar position. He started doing what Deimos was doing previously, scooping water with his hand and rubbing it over his body. He did so as he spoke,

‘So did you speak to Eros?’

Is this guy for real? I mean, who can be this thick-skinned to flash their fully erected dick in front of others without feeling ashamed? Deimos was both impressed and a little disgusted by it. Deimos couldn’t partake in a conversation with that thing in front of him, and he was so engrossed, that he didn’t notice his own penis beginning to harden as well. Lio was getting irritated and said,

‘Hello?’ Deimos’ face was very flushed and he mustered whatever courage he had to reply honestly.

‘I... I... I’m very distracted by your...’ Lio looked down, and looked back up to at Deimos and said,

‘Right... Ok’, and as if on cue, his penis slowly became flaccid. Deimos was still agitated and said,

‘Dude, it doesn’t matter whether it’s hard or soft, just looking at it makes me...’ Lio then interrupted quickly and wittily,

‘Hard?’ as he looked down at Deimos’ now fully erected penis, its head peeking slightly above the water level. Deimos wanted to faint, this night couldn’t get any more embarrassing, he felt stupid and exposed as he cupped his intrusive meat with his hands, trying to hide it. Lio sighed a little, and smiled at Deimos before turning his body.

‘Look man, I wanted to keep you company, but if I’m going to make you uncomfortable, I can always leave you be.’ Lio was about to stand up and leave.

‘Wait no, please stay.’ Deimos blurted out. Lio turned to him again and said,

‘Ok fine, I’ll stay, but promise you’ll leave our dicks alone and focus on me? Let them stand at attention if they want, but I want your attention, right here.’ Lio now had two fingers pointed directly into his light grey eyes. Deimos was encapsulated by the way he spoke, and he nodded. Lio sat back down, looking at Deimos as he repeated his question,

‘So, how’s Eros?’


	9. Untamed

Lio and Deimos were still seated in the river, with Lio sitting considerably more comfortably than Deimos, who was still a little new to the experience of having a conversation together with a grown nude man in the shower. He tried his best to answer Lio’s question,

‘Uhh... Yeah, I managed to speak to Eros about the thing.’

‘What thing?’ Lio asked. Deimos was visibly annoyed, because he knew Lio knew damn well what ‘thing’ he was referring to.

‘Us! We managed to speak about our relationship!’ Deimos said, raising his voice a little.

‘Ohh ok. Well don’t be shy about it, you are allowed to call it by its name.’ Lio plastered a cheeky smirk on his face, showing that he was doing this intentionally. Deimos rolled his eyes and continued.

‘So we sat down, I kinda told him how I felt about our relationship. I told him that while I loved him and enjoyed his company, I didn’t really see a future with the both of us romantically. Like sex was good and all, it’s just that...’ Lio’s eyes enlarged and his jaw dropped,

‘Wai-... Wait... You guys had sex?!’ Deimos now had his hand over his mouth, regretting terribly that he just said that. But he regained his confidence shortly after and placed his hands back down before continuing.

‘Yeah, we kinda did. Not sure if it was due to the heat of the moment or... Anyway, that’s not the point, the point is beyond all of that, I thought about the future for the both of us and I couldn’t see anything.’ Lio was still distracted by the fact that Deimos and Eros had sex, and slowly a laugh burst out.

‘Wow, I can’t believe that you were able to have this conversation with him immediately after sex. You guys are freaky!’ Lio said jokingly. Deimos looked at him, with an eyebrow raised now, a little confused.

‘What? No, sex was before I met you for dinner. This talk was after the dinner and before I left for this shower.’ Lio was now frowning with the smile still on his face.

‘Well, I can see why Eros is so confused now. Haha.’ Lio joked.

‘Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing at me. At least somebody’s getting pleasure out of this.’ Deimos said as he pouted and looked away.

‘Alright alright, I’ll stop. Sorry. Please continue.’ Lio now had his left hand covering his mouth.

‘Well there’s nothing much else to tell. Eros shared my sentiment and agreed that we should probably just stay as friends for now, and I guess we’re just going to take things slowly.’ At this, Lio removed his hand to reveal a gentle smile across his face, nodding slightly at Deimos, showing his approval.

‘I’m proud of you man, it took balls to do that.’ Deimos loved being complimented by Lio. Somehow it felt sincere and meaningful. Deimos then turned to Lio and began their next conversation.

‘So uhh, how about you? You seem to know an awful lot about relationships. What’s your story?’ Lio chuckled and looked up at the moon as he began telling his story.

‘Well yeah, I had two relationships. One lasting 5 years, and the other lasted... about a year. It umm... just ended last year in fact.’ Lio paused for a moment, looking back at Deimos before continuing.

‘So the 5 year relationship was with this girl I met when I was 21 years old. This was back in the Old World, we were part of the same unit within the military, and she made me feel so comfortable, like I could be myself around her. We shared similar interests and we could talk about almost anything under the sun.’ Deimos was beginning to feel impatient, wondering what happened to such a seemingly perfect pair.

‘So you’re probably wondering how things ended between us...’ Ohh man, Lio needs to stop. This mind reading shit is freaking me out, Deimos thought to himself.

‘Well a few things happened. When I was 26 years old, the Commission requested for reinforcements, much like how they requested for you. So I joined the Fourth fleet, because I always wanted to see the New World. Furthermore, my father was going with me, to take over my grandfather as the commander of the Commission, so I had very little reason to stay in the Old World, besides her, of course. I had hoped that she could come along, but she was not interested, leading to us agreeing to end it.’ Lio was maintaining his gaze with Deimos.

‘Just like that?’

‘Just like that’, Lio smiled. Deimos’ maintained the conversation by asking,

‘So then who was the next girl you met?’

‘Nah, the next relationship was with a guy.’ Deimos’ eyes enlarged a little, and he felt a little thrill course through his body from his chest down to his thighs. Lio noticed the change in expression on Deimos’ face, and began to laugh once again.

‘Haha, you know you’re extremely expressive in your own way, which makes you really easy to read if you know where to look.’ Deimos started to blush a little at this comment, hoping Lio would just continue telling his story. Lio remained silent though, and didn’t continue. So Deimos probed and asked,

‘So what happened?’ Lio was starting to fiddle with his fingers, now looking away before he smiled and closed his eyes.

‘I’d uhh... Rather not talk about it...’ Deimos was a little disappointed, but he respected Lio enough to not push. He took this brief moment of silence to just look at Lio. He had a very ideal figure, with surprisingly fair complexion. He had a nice broad handsome face with distinct cheekbones and jawline. He had soft brown hair with a small ponytail at the back, nice grey eyes, tall and masculine with big muscles from his chest, all the way down to his calves. Clearly, he knew how to maintain a good physique. Deimos then mustered the courage to pry,

‘So uhh, you’re bisexual then?’

‘I honestly don’t know, and don’t care. Like I guess my real focus is not physical but more emotional. I need to be with someone I’m comfortable with, someone I can be myself with, and someone who doesn’t judge me. Basically this someone has to be comfortable with who I am as a person and journey together with me, not worrying about where we’d end up, but focusing on the fact that we are with each other, and that needs to be enough for the other party.’ Lio was smiling to himself as he said this. He looked up at Deimos before saying,

‘And sex is a bonus that usually comes naturally. It’s not a priority for me, but I understand the importance of it. So if it happens, it happens.’ Deimos was both sceptical and impressed by Lio’s stance on this. It showed clarity with what he wanted, but it also painted a very idealistic picture of his end goal. I guess what’s important is that he knew what he wanted in a relationship, Deimos thought. It also explained why Lio was so chill about his erection, in a way. He wasn’t really bothered by what others thought of him, and he was very comfortable with being honest about how his body reacted to certain things as well. That much, Deimos was very impressed, seeing how transparent this man was.

‘Well somebody’s lost in his own world again. A penny for your thoughts?’ Lio still maintaining his gaze on Deimos while starting to wet his body again with a series of light splashes.

‘Ohh it’s nothing, I was just admiring how honest you are with yourself and with the people around you. I just like your confidence.’ Deimos said truthfully.

‘Very rare of you to flatter man! I’ll take it!.’ Lio laughed before continuing.

‘So enough about me, tell me more about the squad and yourself!’ Deimos was a little disappointed that Lio decided to stop talking about himself, even though he had already shared rather personal things for their first heart-to-heart session. So Deimos obliged, telling Lio everything about how he first met Eros and Rhodes, how Rhen entered his life and how he struggled to handle her initially.

They slowly digressed and started talking about hunting, and Lio was sharing his experience about his first encounter with a wild monster here in the New World.

‘... so the Anjanath came charging towards me with his mouth wide open, and I chose to stand my ground, placing my greatsword to my left and leaning a little to the right. I then charged right at the beast head-on. Just before we collided, I jerked my right elbow up and jabbed the thing in the eye. It fell back, and started whining in pain. That was when my team set up a vine trap to hold it in place, and we tranquilised it, bringing it back to base.’ Deimos was mesmerised by this story, and filled with excitement. He couldn’t wait to get out in the field with this man, an Anjanath, wow! Deimos had never faced one of those before, but heard terrifying stories about these large tyrannosaurus rex-like creatures with fleshy wings on its back and an expandable snout that stored highly volatile mucus which it could ignite easily from a fire gland found at the back of its throat. Lio then looked at Deimos and asked him,

‘What about you? Any interesting hunting stories to tell?’ Deimos looked down and smiled embarrassingly before saying,

‘Ohh nah, my stories are not as cool and exciting as yours. Most of my hunts happened in the arena where we fight captured monsters. It’s not the same, sometimes it just feels like animal cruelty.’ Lio knew exactly what Deimos was saying, and that was part of the reason he decided to come over to the New World, to observe nature as it was meant to be observed, in the wild. Untamed, and uncontrolled. But Lio was still curious nonetheless to hear about Deimos’ adventures, and so he asked,

‘Ohh com’on dude, I’m sure something happened that is worth sharing! Maybe start by telling me what monsters you’ve fought before?’

‘Ohh ok. Well I’ve fought a Great Jagras, a Barroth, a Legiana, a Diablos, and... Ohh right, a Rathalos as well.’ As Deimos was looking away trying to recall the monsters he’s fought and didn’t realise Lio’s dropped jaw. The moment Deimos turned back towards him, he was taken aback by the look of surprise on Lio’s face, and asked.

‘Everything alright?’

‘More than alright dude, you’ve fought so many monsters before? Some of them I’ve never even seen in my life! And a Diablos?! Wow, those guys are terrifying, I’ve never been able to get round their digging. Those smart bastards, making me run off like a little girl every time they go underground.’ Lio now getting a little excited.

‘You could always use a screamer pod.’ Deimos said arrogantly.

‘Those pods you make from Noios’? What good would that d-...’ Lio now realising how much the Diablos hated those flying beasts, smacked his forehead with his right hand such that a faint red hand print was left there.

‘I’m an idiot’.

Deimos was now laughing, seeing Lio behave in a more playful manner as opposed to his normal confident demeanour was refreshing. The two shared a moment of silence, looking away from each other, and just enjoying each other’s company. Deimos was relaxed, truly relaxed, nude and all, and he loved this feeling. But he couldn’t resist opening his mouth to ask.

‘So uhh, see anyone interesting in the Fifth fleet so far?’ Deimos didn’t look at Lio while asking this.

‘Umm... Not really. I mean the majority of the fleet’s ok. Very obedient bunch, you lot. But I guess the most interesting people I’ve met so far are the four of you. And I’m glad I found you guys!’ Deimos gave a little smile, but he still wasn’t looking at Lio. Lio sensed that Deimos wasn’t pleased with his response, so he added on.

‘Well if you’re asking me about a different kind of interesting, then...’ Lio started dragging his words lazily and intentionally. Deimos now turned to look at Lio, expecting him to respond now to his true question.

‘Not at the moment, no.’

Deimos’ face turned quickly into disappointment as he tried to hide it poorly. Lio noticed this and was really tickled by it. He pretended not to notice, and got up from his seat and sat uncomfortably close to Deimos’ left side as he stared at him in the eyes asking,

‘And what about you? See anyone interesting in Astera?’ Deimos’ eyes were opened wide now and his feeling of unease slowly crept back in. His body started to tense up, and his penis started to twitch.

‘I... uhh... No...?’ Deimos gave an unconvincing answer.

‘Ohh com’on dude, if you wanna ask me out, just do it already!’ Lio broke the tension by throwing out the obvious question back at Deimos’ face. Deimos started blushing and was at a loss for words. But since Lio said it, he thought he might as well do it and see where it goes.

‘Umm, ok... So will you be my... boyfriend?’ Lio still looking at him, now broke into a laugh as he turned his body away from Deimos. He turned his head back to look at Deimos and replied,

‘No.’

Deimos was furious. Did he think this was a joke? He felt humiliated and embarrassed, allowing Lio to play him like that. If he wasn’t in the river with him, he would b-... Deimos’ thoughts were interrupted by a firm warm sensation on his left hand, and when he looked down, he saw Lio holding on to it with his right hand, looking at him.

‘You need to slow down tiger. I’m not saying no to you ever, I’m saying no to you now. We have only known each other for about a day or two, and while I do like you a lot, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I wanna know more about you before I make a decision. And you should get to know me more before you decide. Besides, you should give yourself sometime to get back up after your situation with Eros, for his sake as well. So for now, might I suggest we just be friends?’ Deimos was over the moon when he heard this, but he also saw an opportunity to get back at Lio. So he snatched his hand away from Lio’s firm grip, startling him a little.

‘Hey...!’

‘Friends? More like pain in my ass.’ Deimos tried to say this with a straight face but failed. Lio caught on quickly and nudged him in the shoulder, both of them bursting out in laughter.

It was now morning, and the squad received news from Lio that he wanted to hold a briefing for their first assignment. Rhodes was looking for Rhen, and found her in the middle of the trading port with her back bent and looking to the ground.

‘Ok look, it’s very simple! I give you belly scratches, and you show me where they hide the food. Deal?’ Rhen was talking to a small hairy pink object with four legs in the middle of the trading port. She ran her hands to the creature’s belly and began scratching it while it squealed in delight.

‘Ok! Now show me the food!’ The creature slowly lay down, and began snoozing. Snot bubbles visibly exiting its snout and floating away. Rhen knelt down in defeat and had her hands in her knotted up white hair, pulling it slightly to vent her frustration. Rhodes walked over and saw the commotion, asking her.

‘What on earth are you doing to Poogie?’ Rhen turned to send a glare towards Rhodes, as she stood up and faced her.

‘What am I doing? What am I doi-... This piece of pork just backed down on our agreement! I told him that he could have belly scratches in exchange for showing me where the food stash was. And now he’s sleeping, refusing to keep his end of the bargain. This is the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals!’ Rhodes rolled her eyes and grabbed Rhen’s arm saying,

‘Com’on, the rest are waiting for us. We have our first assignment.’

Rhen and Rhodes arrived at the canteen where they saw the three boys already seated next to each other, discussing over what seemed like a map in the middle of the table. Lio was seated in the middle, with Eros on his left and Deimos on his right. As the two girls got closer, Eros looked up and flashed a sweet smile across his face, waving at them. They waved back, and soon they were at the table, Rhen sat beside Deimos, and Rhodes beside Eros.

‘Great! Everyone’s here. So, we have reassigned the teams to focus our efforts primarily on the Ancient Forest and the Coral Highlands. And since the Ancient Forest is just at our doorstep, I suggest we deal with that region first.’ Lio was now using the map of what seemed like the Ancient Forest. He was pointing on a symbol of a yellow tent that were scattered around the map, which could only be assumed to be the campsites established within the region. There were three of them. Lio continued, ‘We are needed at two specific locations within these four campsites...’ Rhen interjected suddenly, slamming the table with her right hand.

‘Ah ha! You thought we hunters can’t count! There are only three campsites here Pukei boy. Thought you could trick us...?’ Rhen’s right eye was now twitching while she glared at Lio, who was initially a little shocked, but now smiling. He took up another map from below, of pretty much the same Ancient Forest region but about 80 percent of the map was darkened. And on this version of the map, the fourth and final yellow tent was visible.

‘Why thank you for bringing that up Rhen, very observant of you.’ Rhen sat back down and started pouting with her folded arms across her chest, not pleased that she got outplayed by Lio yet again.

‘So as Rhen pointed out, this is the fourth campsite. And it is only visible on this version of the map because it is elevated. This also happens to be the second camp we need to regain control of.’ Lio explained.

‘How high up is this?’ Rhodes asked. Lio turned to her giving her a concerned face saying,

‘It’s at the canopy of the Ancient Tree’.

‘What?! That’s...’ Rhodes looked up, with the other hunters following suit, to the humongous tree in the backdrop of Astera behind them, realising how ridiculously high up this campsite was.

‘Yeah exactly. But the height is not the issue, it’s the monsters that make their home at that height that might prove a problem. There aren’t many solid platforms up there and so fighting monsters will not be ideal. So I would only recommend engaging as a last resort.’ Lio tried to calm the group down.

‘Why do we need such a high vantage point anyway?’ Eros challenged.

‘Well because we need to see where Zorah is before planning our next move. He was last seen two days ago but could be anywhere by now. The Ancient Tree’s height will allow us to spot a large creature like that even if he were many miles away.’ It made sense, Eros was convinced as he nodded at Lio’s response.

‘You mentioned there were two camps we needed to secure. Which is the other one?’ Deimos asked.

‘The other one is the Northwest Camp, located directly ahead of where your fleet was attacked.’ Lio said, with his finger now on the respective campsite.

‘What? Whose stupid idea was that? If it is directly in front of where we were attacked, wouldn’t...’ Rhen was interrupted by Lio.

‘Zorah destroy the camp? Unlikely. The reason why the scholars want that camp is because not only are they hopeful to find valuable materials left behind by Zorah, but they hope to find tracks too, so that they can predict his next move. The camp itself is hidden and out of the way, protected by the thick vegetation of the forest. It is not likely going to be of any interest to Zorah.’ Lio tried to cover all of his hunter’s concerns before moving on with the briefing.

‘So what are we going to expect when we’re out in the field? I mean it’s going to be our first time out there and we don’t really know what we’ll find. Anything that we should take note of?’ Eros said nervously. Lio chuckled and gave him a reassuring smile.

‘Don’t worry pal, I already planned a short expedition to bring all of you around the Ancient Forest later today. No hunting, just a little surveying if you would. It’s good for you guys to have a feel of the environment before attempting to fight in it. Besides, I figured all of you could use a bit of fresh air.’ Lio now turned towards the rest. Rhen suddenly had a glowing face of excitement and Rhodes’ face was expressionless. Deimos’ eye were glistening, clearly excited about the idea as well.

‘However, I have to warn all of you’, the mood suddenly turned serious.

‘The creatures in these woods will not welcome you, we are intruding into their home. And while I have never approved the establishing of campsites within the forest, we have no choice now but to do so. As such, I only ask one thing from all of you: respect the forest. Take only what you need to survive, kill for either defence or food and nothing else. The monsters in the woods will rather flee than fight, so I suggest you do the same. But there are some who are extremely territorial, and I guess these will be the ones that I have to warn all of you about.’ Lio expected the table to be shivering in fear, but all four of them were now even more excited. Clearly they have not been in such situations before that the thrill of it was overpowering their fear of the potential dangers.

‘On the ground, the main threat we face is the Anjanath. These T-Rex-like creatures are extremely intolerant of intruders. It marks its territory by coating tree trunks in its dark green mucus. Do not antagonise or taunt it.’ Lio said this while looking at Rhen.

‘The mucus is highly flammable, so be careful about that as well. If you do find yourself in a position where you have to fight the beast, aim for its snout. A retractable soft bone is located above its nose where it secretes and stores most of its mucus, so crippling it there will prevent the monster from using fire against you for a brief period of time. But do not underestimate it, even without fire, it can crush you easily with its massive legs.’ All of the hunters were thrilled with the amount of details and knowledge Lio had over the creature. But he wasn’t done.

‘Now high up in the canopy, there is another threat, and a rather different one as well. Maybe we can get someone who has actually fought this beast before to share a little insight. Deimos?’ Deimos was a little shocked and asked,

‘What? What monster is this that I’ve fought?’

‘Rathalos’, Lio answered. Deimos gulped when he heard that. Even though he had vanquished a Rathalos before, he had never done so in the wild. Now the advantage that he had over the Rathalos in the arena had not only been taken away from him, but given to the monster, it was going to be a very different experience fighting the beast in its element.

‘Ohh uhh, well the Rathalos is a flying wyvern, whose main form of defence is fire. It was notoriously given the title of the King of the Skies, so expect most of the fighting to be done in the air.’ Rhen chuckled as she slapped her insect glaive that was strapped to the back of her hunting gear. The insect glaive was an agile weapon consisting of blades on both ends of a pole and extremely lightweight. Just like all weapons, the insect glaive is imbued with magical properties, specifically to decrease the weight of its wielder, allowing them to vault themselves into the air and stay airborne for a significant amount of time, much like an insect, and hence the name. Deimos shot her confidence down by immediately saying,

‘The Rathalos is not named the King of the Skies for nothing Rhen, it wouldn’t enjoy having competition.’ Rhen’s smile subsided after hearing this.

‘So anything else I should be looking out for wonder boy? Maybe a huge scorpion stinger as a tail or something?’ Rhodes now turned to a laughing Rhen, bitting her lower lip. Rhen turned to her and asked,

‘What?’

‘I don’t know about a scorpion tail, but the Rathalos’ spiked tail is laced with venom. So you should watch out for that too.’ Deimos replied, hesitantly. Rhen pretended to faint, and fell backwards and off her stool, lying on the floor.

Rhodes now turned to Lio and asked,

‘So how should we do this? Should we split up and...’ Lio turned towards Rhodes and stood up, slamming the table violently and raising his voice,

‘NO! There will be no splitting up. We will do everything as a team! What makes you think you guys are ready to do this on your own? What if something happened to one of you guys? Wha-...’ Deimos quickly placed his hands over Lio’s shoulders resisting his advancement toward Rhodes, while Eros placed his left hand over Rhodes’ right shoulder and his right hand over Lio’s chest, ready to stop him in case he got aggressive.

‘Hey! Hey! Calm down, Rhodes is just asking a question! What’s the matter with you?’ Deimos questioned. The moment Lio turned to look at Deimos, he immediately relaxed after looking into his deep blue sapphire eyes. There was something about it that seemed to take the agitation away. As he sat down, he turned to Rhodes, who was a little frightened by the ordeal, and he apologised.

‘I’m... I’m sorry, that was out of line. I just don’t like the idea of splitting up. Something happened about a year back to my hunting team and I lost someone because I allowed the team to split. It still haunts me till this very day. Forgive me, but I won’t allow my hunting party to ever split again, unless I really have no other choice.’ Rhodes smiled after hearing this, and was moved by his concern over them. Rhen got up and sat back on the stool before putting her elbows on the table and asked,

‘So we splitting up?’ Everyone rolled their eyes and placed their hands on their foreheads, having had enough of this useless girl. The group wrapped up the briefing and decided that they will recce the ground before going upward to the canopy of the forest. This was to facilitate their plan of establishing control over the northwest camp first followed by the canopy camp. Lio told them to grab their essential gear, before meeting him at the entrance of Astera in about 30 minutes to set out for their expedition. At that, the group disbanded.

‘Wow, an expedition! I’m so excited. What are you going to bring?’ Eros was very excited, and so was Deimos, but Deimos was able to control his expression much better as he responded.

‘Uhh, probably just some water and my charge blade.’ Deimos said confidently.

‘Reeeooww!!’ Phobos hissed as he ruffled Deimos’ soft white hair.

‘Haha, you too buddy!’ Now ruffling Phobos’ thick brown fur.

‘Hmm... Probably a good idea for me to bring my weapon too then’. Eros’ weapon of choice was the sword and shield. A simple and efficient weapon, capable of fast hits with either the sword or the shield. The shield too is imbued with magic but served a slightly different purpose to that of the charge blade. For the shield of the charge blade, the magic was meant to not only deflect attacks, but store energy as well. This energy will then be released when the shield combined together with the sword to form the axe. For the sword and shield, however, the main purpose of the shield was to protect and to stun. Hits from the shield will cause a disorientating effect on any creature that it collided with, buying the hunter valuable time should he need to escape or time to recuperate. The sword was also considerably smaller and shorter than the charge blade, once again, to serve a different purpose. The blade for the charge blade had to be long in order to serve as a handle after it connected with the shield to form the axe. The sword and shield, however, needed a fast hitting tool, in which a shorter and smaller blade would suffice, to slice at the monster quickly and efficiently, not requiring a lot of force and energy to do so. The sword and shield was never meant to take down a monster quickly, but it was meant to cripple and weaken, forcing the monster to flee. Of course if the monster persists, the sword and shield is still more than capable of making short work of its prey.

Deimos was really excited by this expedition, more than he would show to anyone but himself. He was dying for an adventure, he saw the Ancient Tree and the forests beyond and was eager to explore it. From the first breath of fresh air he took in, to the cooling lunar light he experienced last night, he couldn’t fathom how much more the wilderness could offer him. He was thoroughly thrilled. As the squad met at the gate entrance, everyone was geared up and ready to leave. Lio looked at Rhodes and said,

‘Normally the handlers don’t go out, I was surprised when you said you would go wherever the team went.’

‘Well, while I despise violence and filth, I still remain curious. And nothing like witnessing new things firsthand, and with you lot. It’s all about the journey isn’t it?’ What is up with everyone repeating each other’s sentences, Deimos thought. Is everyone in on something that he’s missing? Or is everyone getting something that he doesn’t? Ohh nevermind.

Lio smiled, but it quickly faded as he said,

‘While I admire your curiosity, please be careful. I can protect you, but I cannot guarantee your safety. And I won’t want another incident under my watch. So when I ask you to run, you run. When I say hide, you hide. Clear?’ Rhodes nodded attentively. As Lio was about to look away, Rhodes added one more line,

‘I guess me coming along can be seen as a necessity in a way. Otherwise who’s going to stop any of you from eating toadstools?’ Rhen was the first to laugh while looking at everyone but stopped abruptly to stare at Deimos, whom she still thought had worms in his brain. Lio was glad to see the team so bonded and tight, it made him reminisce his old hunting squad. He reached back to briefly feel the coarse, rough cloth wrapped around the handle of his greatsword, as if to remind himself how the weapon was used. It not only brought back his muscle memory, but bitter memories of his past, at which point he was tempted to let go, being too painful to recall. But before him he saw four eager and precious individuals who shared his passion and drive. He was not prepared to let the past get in the way of his future. He was determined to move on. He held onto the handle even tighter now and looked at the four before saying,

‘Let’s have some fun!’ the enthusiastic group now running ahead, making their way towards the Ancient Forest.


	10. Into the Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Astera was built with the Ancient Tree in the backdrop, making the enormous tree look like it was deceptively close to the city. In actuality, it was quite a distance away. Between the large tree and Astera were miles of dense forest, making it a perfect home for creatures of all sorts.

The squad began their expedition from the outskirts of the forest, where vast unobstructed views still existed. The ocean was visible, now calm and undisturbed, seeing the bright blue colour being reflected off by the scorching afternoon sun. The river that flowed through Astera was now seen cutting through the open area in front of them and into the sea. The squad followed the river, and their eyes were drawn to a view that they won’t soon forget.

‘Look at all those Aptonoth! They’re huge!’ Eros shouted while pointing at a herd that stopped by the river for a drink. These Aptonoth were about twice the size of those in the Old World, this was to be expected, since they were used as beasts of labour. Aptonoth were captured at a very young age and put to work back in the Old World, which caused their growing ability to be hindered severely and not grow past a certain age. Deimos never enjoyed taking Aptonoth rides, and usually just relied on his own two feet. A smile emerged on his face as he saw the herd free and happy, and his chest relaxed subconsciously. Eros, Rhen and Rhodes began walking closer to the herd, being careful not to startle them. Lio noticed, and warned them.

‘I wouldn’t get too close guys! Keep your distance.’ Lio warned them based on experience. While the Aptonoth didn’t have sharp horns, the blunt shape could splinter and shatter bones easily. Lio had an encounter with them and broke two ribs as a result, it wasn’t pleasant. The three heeded his warning, and stood their ground, admiring the herd from a distance. Deimos noticed a few apples on the floor by his feet, and he picked them up, walking towards the Aptonoth. He ignored Lio’s warning as he walked past the now stationary trio, holding the apples in his left hand, crouched down, and advancing slowly.

‘Psst! Careful Deimos!’ Lio was anxious but didn’t want to startle the Aptonoth at the same time, so he controlled his shout. Deimos once again ignored him, and continued advancing. Lio was wise to keep his distance, this herd had children, and the parents will undoubtedly be more on guard than usual. As soon as the fully grown Aptonoth noticed a foreign presence closing in, it stopped drinking and turned its head to face Deimos. It let out a soft growl as a warning, and Deimos respected it, halting his advancement. The rest of the herd were alerted by this growl as they all turned to face Deimos, including the babies, with their faces filled with curiosity. Deimos smiled at them, and rolled an apple gently at the Aptonoth that growled at him. Initially apprehensive, it took a few steps back as the intimidating red orb rolled to its feet. It examined it for a few seconds before closing in for a whiff, realising it was a harmless fruit. It took a bite, removing half of the apple, exposing its white fleshy insides and a hardened core. It then pushed the remaining half with its snout to the babies to share, as they made short work of it, clearly enjoying it. At this, the Aptonoth took one last look at Deimos, before turning away to continue drinking from the river. Deimos smiled, and without turning around to the squad, stretched his right arm behind and waved them over. The four of them looked at each other, frankly quite astonished, as they followed his cue to advance slowly. Deimos was standing up now, as he went up all the way to the Aptonoth’s side, resting his right hand gently onto its hard, rough hide. Deimos could feel its strong heartbeat and consistent breaths, such a strong creature, living in the moment, with only worries of survival on its mind. Sometimes, Deimos envied these creatures. He began stroking the beast, feeling the warm and rough texture of its hide.

‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ a soft voice was heard from Deimos’ left as he turned and saw Lio place his hand on another Aptonoth.

‘I’ve... I’ve never actually patted a wild creature before.’ Lio was engrossed in this magical moment, and he too was in awe. He now heard an irritating and distracting laughter from his right, and saw Rhen on the ground, being mauled by two baby Aptonoths, trying to eat her face.

‘Stop! None of you can handle this piece of meat! You’re freaking herbivores!’ Rhen’s voice was getting louder, but thankfully the herd didn’t seem to mind, so Lio let her be. Deimos felt a soft nudge on his left hand, and as he looked down, a baby Aptonoth was trying to take an apple from his hand. Deimos squat down, and offered it freely to the little creature. It finished it in one bite, and started licking Deimos in the face.

‘Woah woah, watch the mouth!’ Deimos now closing his eyes and his mouth, as the little thing continued licking his face. At this, Phobos hopped off Deimos’ shoulders and onto the baby Aptonoth, attempting to ride the beast. The baby Aptonoth was not used to having a weight on its back, so started prancing around and trying to get the fur ball off of his back. This left a smile on Deimos’ face.

‘We should continue moving’, Lio said hesitantly, interrupting the magical moment. The rest nodded and left the herd, heading deeper into the forest. They were now beginning to see dense vegetation and trees all around them. The vast view of blue and brown was slowly turning into nothing but green. Even the water here was a dark green colour, from the reflection of the trees overhead.

‘Stay close guys, and don’t make too much noise. It’s best if nothing knows we’re here.’ Lio was whispering to the squad, as he used the bushes located around the forest to hide his silhouette. They followed a path until the route was seemingly blocked by thick vines, to which Lio turned to them and said.

‘Let’s go around, there should be a...’ before he could finish, the four of them were sliding seamlessly through the small slits between the vines. The obstacle course back in camp was starting to prove useful. Lio was left on the other side, stunned and speechless, after awhile, following them and trying to imitate their movements, eventually getting through as well. The squad emerged from the vines and saw the opening of a cave directly ahead of them. Lio gathered them close behind a bush and said.

‘That’s where we’re headed’, pointing towards the cave.

‘Ok, so let’s go!’ Rhen said, getting up and walking straight towards it.

‘No!’ Lio grabbed her arm quickly and dragged her back. ‘This area is crawling with jagras, and while their larger more dangerous reptilian mother doesn’t mind humans, her children are a different story.’ Eros’ eyes widened a little.

‘This is a Great Jagras’ lair?’ Lio turned to him and nodded.

‘She isn’t aggressive, especially not after she’s just eaten. But her children enjoy roaming the treetops, giving them a good vantage view of the open area below, catching any prey that walks in foolishly.’ Lio now turned and frowned at Rhen, who was scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

‘Ok, so what do we do then?’ Deimos asked.

‘We go around and use the bushes as cover. If we are spotted, we run.’ Lio said as he stood up heading to the next bush, the rest followed closely behind him. Deimos noticed a scatternut on the floor, and decided to pick it up and load it into his slinger mechanism. Scatternuts are deep orange coloured nuts that make a ‘pop’ sound when it comes in contact with a hard surface with significant force. Perfect for attracting attention or distracting monsters.

‘Very resourceful’, Lio commented, noticing Deimos loading his slingshot.

‘Never know when you’ll need it.’ Deimos replied arrogantly. Lio smiled as he continued walking around the open area, moving from bush to bush.

*CRRGK* everyone turned and looked behind to see a broken twig at the bottom of Rhodes’ boots. Her face turning pale and her body frozen. Lio signalled Eros to quickly get her into the bush for cover, and he did so. The loud sound caused a reactionary rustle in the trees above, and the squad began to see this dense green forest turning yellow. A mass of yellow lizards crawled down from the tree trunks, to investigate the foreign sound that they heard. Lio was frustrated, and pointed at the cave entrance he said.

‘Dammit! We’re so close. But we can’t make it with all these jagras out now.’ Deimos smirked to himself, looking at the scatternut he just picked up and now sitting comfortably in his slinger. He straightened his left arm, and placed his left cheek on his bicep. He aimed his slinger in the opposite direction of the cave, and shot the nut as far as possible. The scatternut collided with a tree trunk making a loud ‘pop’. The jagras immediately ran towards the sound to investigate, and the squad used this opportunity to make a run for the cave, and made it safely.

‘You really are a lifesaver dude.’ Lio panting slightly, with his left hand on Deimos’ right shoulder.

‘Haha, what would you guys do without me’, Deimos joked.

‘S-sorry guys. Maybe it was a mistake for me to come along.’ Rhodes was very upset with herself for putting the whole squad in danger. Rhen had a warm smile on her face as she walked up to Rhodes, resting her hands on her shoulders. There was a moment of silence, so Rhodes looked up and saw a now frowning Rhen staring at her.

‘GET A GRIP WOMAN! The only mistake here is that bitch-ass attitude which you should’ve left in the Old World!’ After Rhen finished, she started shaking Rhodes violently back and forth.

‘O...k... Fine... He-...y....ST-OP...!’ Rhodes was trying very hard to speak properly with Rhen shaking her so much. Rhodes couldn’t feel her face now, and was starting to feel a bit dizzy. She placed her hand on her head for a bit of support, before opening her mouth.

‘Shake me any harder and I’ll become as stupid as you.’

‘WHAT?!’ Rhen was about to tackle Rhodes when Lio stood between the two ladies and covered Rhen’s mouth with his hand.

‘I hate to break up this lovely conversation but can we do this later? We won’t want to wake... Uhh...’ Lio was whispering and pointed behind Rhen. The squad turned around to see a Great Jagras lying down on its belly on a pile of bones. It was about twenty times the size of a regular jagras, and snoring away, clearly just having eaten. Rhen tried to be as soft as possible, asking.

‘Why did you bring us into its bedroom?!’ compensating her soft voice with exaggerated mouth movements as she ‘shouted’ at Lio.

‘It’s a shortcut, follow me.’ The squad now realising what was in the cave with them started making their way quickly to the exit. Once they exited, they were greeted by an open area with no vegetation above and an open skylight. A steep rocky slope was in front of them, with a small pond at the base of this slope. Lio turned to them and said.

‘The Northwest campsite is just over this slope. You guys want to carry on or...’ before Lio could finish, Rhen was already in the middle of the pond, splashing water at Phobos who was floating on his back with his eyes closed.

‘O....k... I guess we can take a break then.’ Lio turned to the other three, signalling for them to join the other two in the pond. Rhodes and Eros removed their armour, and were left in their undergarments as they jumped into the pond. The cool, refreshing water was a nice welcome against the blazing heat of the afternoon sun that was now directly overhead. Lio and Deimos weren’t interested in getting wet, so they just removed their greaves and soaked their feet into the cooling water. The three of them were playing in the middle of the pond when Rhen suddenly ripped off her bra, revealing her pinkish nipples resting on her firm C cup size breasts. She was now splashing water on her cleavage, washing away the sweat that had accumulated under the heat of her armour. She looked up, now only in her panties, at the four of them staring at her. Even Phobos’ jaw was dangling.

‘What? Never seen tits before?’ Rhen was not embarrassed at all and continued bathing herself.

‘What is your problem?!’ Rhodes was now trying to put Rhen’s bra back on, struggling with her. ‘This is not your private bath, you crazy...’ Rhen was having fun resisting Rhodes. Eros was just by the side, not sure what to do, but his face was beginning to blush since this is the first time he had seen a woman’s breasts in all its glory. Deimos too was shocked, he had never seen exposed breasts before. When he turned to Lio, he was laughing. Lio then turned to Deimos and said,

‘As far as breasts go, hers are quite nice.’ Deimos got a little jealous when he heard this, and retaliated.

‘What do you mean they are nice?’ Lio sensing the jealousy, decided to take the opportunity to tease Deimos further.

‘Well, nice as in they are big, they look nice to squeeze, nice to...’ Deimos shut his eyes and started shaking his head, raising his hands saying,

‘Ok ok I get it, stop.’ Lio was now more amused by Deimos’ reaction to all of this, so he continued.

‘Haha relax dude! They’re just breasts! You’ve got pretty nice ones yourself.’ Lio said this before flicking Deimos’ left nipple. This unexpected and sudden physical contact made Deimos’ nipple harden, and sending a signal down to his crotch. Deimos blush became a little redder, trying to force a frown on his face to show Lio how much he disapproved. Rhen managed to fight off Rhodes, and was now walking towards the two men sitting at the edge of the pond. She stopped in front of the two, with her upper body still free from clothes, as she placed her hands on her hips saying.

‘So, should I teach you boys a little something about the woman’s body?’ Lio was holding back a laugh as he leaned back, supporting his body weight with both his arms now straightened and his hands resting on the ground. He looked at Rhen and smiled, saying.

‘I don’t mind.’ Deimos felt like vomiting. He looked away and refused to entertain this uncomfortable situation. Rhen pointed at her breast and said,

‘This is called a boob. It is soft and squishy, but it can be hard and firm too! This is what normal men kill for. Since you guys are my close friends, I will allow you one free sample.’ She reached out to grab Deimos’ left arm and Lio’s right arm, moving them towards her breast.

‘Woah woah woah, not so fast pussy cat.’ Lio resisted. ‘I think you’re going a little fast on your first lesson.’ Deimos also resisted, but he jerked his hand much harder, releasing it from her grip. He stood up, and stormed off. Lio looked as Deimos left, and he got up as well, turning to Rhen and saying.

‘Thanks for the nice view, maybe another time.’ As he ran after Deimos.

Deimos sat by the cave entrance, with his hunting knife out, sharpening it.

‘Hey, you alright?’ Lio came over, and sat down on Deimos’ left.

‘Am I alright? Am I... Well I’m fucking not alright! You think I enjoy being gay? You think I chose to like men? I didn’t fucking choose to enjoy dicks and be made fun off. I can’t love freely, I can’t express myself. And as if that weren’t bad enough, I have to have it shoved back in my face constantly by people who are ‘normal’ and how awesome that life is. Well I can’t stand it! I’m not normal and there’s nothing I can do about it! Trust me, I’ve tried!’ Deimos’ eyes were starting to water, but his face was as stern as ever. Lio was heartbroken, and while he knew what Deimos was going through, he clearly didn’t have as rough an experience as Deimos did. This was the first time Lio felt like he couldn’t empathise with Deimos, but that didn’t mean there was nothing he could do. Lio placed his right arm over Deimos’ shoulder, grabbing his right arm, jerking him slightly toward his chest.

‘Talk to me’, Lio wanted to know what Deimos was feeling and what he went through. Deimos responded,

‘I’m not angry with Rhen, it just sucks being reminded of how abnormal I am. I guess I just need time to cool off.’ Lio now took a gamble, sharing his thoughts with Deimos.

‘You’re not abnormal dude, you’re unique in your own way. The world might not see your value, but you are surrounded by people who do. Now, I don’t know about your past, but I can assure you that the four of us don’t see you as any less of a person. In fact, we see you as more! You’re an amazing person, and extraordinary person. Please don’t think that we’re being insensitive.’ A smile appeared on Deimos’ face, but this smile was born of scepticism. Lio was originally mistaken, but he quickly caught up after hearing Deimos’ response.

‘You know, for once I actually feel like you don’t get me. I need some fresh air.’ Deimos sheathed his knife in its scabbard located behind his belt as he got up and left. Good job Lio. Try listening for once, and not saying anything, who knows, that might work out sometimes. Lio was now hitting his forehead with his palm, regretting he ever opened his mouth. As much as he wanted to give Deimos his space, he didn’t want Deimos to be left alone in unfamiliar territory, so he made sure to keep an eye on him. As of now, Lio could see Deimos sitting at the top of the slope, continuing to sharpen his knife, so he joined the rest at the pond.

‘Where’s wonder boy? Did I scare him off with my breasts?’ Rhen still bra-less and walking around in the pond. Lio smiled at her and said.

‘Actually... Yeah, you kinda did.’ Lio was looking away now as he continued. ‘But he’ll be fine, he just needs some time on his own.’ Rhen enlarged her eyes turning around trying to find Deimos.

‘Nonsense! All he needs is a little...’ Lio grabbed her arm firmly, almost bruising it as he looked at her sternly saying.

‘Rhen, I won’t say it again, he needs some time on his own.’ Rhen felt a chill run down her spine, seeing Lio like this for the first time. She nodded as she went back to join the rest in the middle of the pond. After a few more minutes, Lio decided it was time to move on, so he signalled the team to get their gear and get ready to leave. After doing so, they left the pond and head up the slope. As they were about halfway, Lio looked ahead and realised that Deimos was no longer where he was. Lio ran ahead of the squad to where Deimos was last seen to find the knife he was sharpening left on the floor, together with peculiar black quills littered around the area. He was about to pick one up when Rhodes stopped him saying,

‘Don’t! Those quills are very sharp. Even the fur is stiff, meant to penetrate flesh. An iconic tactic of a Nargacuga.’ Rhen’s eyes widened. Lio was confused, as he had never heard of that creature before.

‘What are they like?’ Lio asked.

‘They are stealthy predators, and their prey usually don’t get the chance to even see them.’ Rhodes replied. Lio then threw the next question.

‘Are they aggressive?’

‘Ohh, extremely. There is a reason why they went extinct in the Old World. They are territorial, and are also known to kill for sport. They do it to maintain their hunting skills, similar to cats. Umm, by the way, where’s Deimos?’ Lio’s face was now turning very pale.

‘We need to go. Now!’ Lio was now running, leading the squad over the slope and back into the forest.

Deimos swung his thick blade upwards, cutting the Nargacuga’s left paw that was in the air, chipping away one of its three nails, causing it to whine in pain. This was enough to make the creature enraged. The fur around its red eyes turned into an intense red, connecting to the exposed red flesh of the inside of its ears creating the illusion of a much larger and much more intimidating image. It let out a piercing roar, revealing its large canine teeth while causing Deimos’ vision to begin getting blurry. The deafening roar caused Deimos to shut his eyes in pain, as it impaired not only his sense of hearing. He had never felt this sensation before, and it was paralysing. He knocked out of it quickly, as he regained consciousness seeing the large fur wyvern pouncing towards him. He rolled to his left, and turned around, to see the Nargacuga already in the air pouncing towards him yet again. He couldn’t dodge it in time, causing the three claws of the creature to slice its way from Deimos’ forehead, down past his right eye in a diagonal direction. Luckily, he shut his eye in time, leaving it unharmed. However, it left a very distinct three-clawed mark across his right eye that was now starting to bleed. The creature was known to be exceedingly intelligent, and so decided to implore a different tactic to overcome its adversary. It arched its back to the rear, before swinging its tail round to the front, attempting to gore its opponents with its spiked tail. Deimos was prepared for this, so he raised his shield to block the swing. What he was not prepared for, however, were the detachable quills that flew out upon impact with his shield. The razor sharp quills flew past areas which the shield failed to cover, mainly his shin and his arm, slicing off his flesh like a hot knife cutting through butter.

‘Arggh!’ Deimos wailed, but maintained his guard, knowing full well if he relented, his life would be over. He lowered his shield after the blow to study the creature’s next move. The creature, instead of attacking was studying him as well. He had never encountered a monster like that before, it not only made Deimos respect it more, but it also made him fear it. Deimos then decided to go on the offensive this time, running towards the creature, and firing his slingshot. The rope wrapped around its right foreleg, pulling Deimos in. He grabbed the creatures shoulder for support with his right hand, while he ejected the slingshot rope, freeing his left arm. Nargacuga was now extremely agitated, and swinging its body weight around, trying to get the human off of its body. Deimos could feel himself slipping, the sheer power of the beast’s muscles were no match for his own. So he took his charge blade and stabbed it into the creature’s shoulder. It couldn’t pierce deep, its hide was tough, but it pierced enough for Deimos to achieve a better grip. The creature reacted to the blade now pierced into its shoulder with more frequent and violent shakes. Deimos used this as leverage to push himself up onto the creature’s neck where he wrapped his muscular legs round it. As he did this, he pulled out his blade, which revealed the raw pinkish flesh of the creature underneath the black fur, there was no blood since the blade did no cut deep. Deimos was having difficulty holding on with just his legs, so he quickly attached his blade to his shield, and used the momentum of the monster’s jerking to swing his axe down like a pendulum, colliding right into the left side of the creature’s face. The collision released the stored energy from the previously blocked tail swing, and Nargacuga fell over disorientated. Deimos was now on the ground as he looked at Nargacuga shaking its head, regaining consciousness.

‘Go... Please go... I don’t want to kill you...’ Deimos mumbled to himself, panting. Nargacuga stared at Deimos, with his shield still up, tilted its head upward and released a loud roar. This was different from the previous screeching roar, this roar had a domineering feel to it and was louder and much more powerful. Nargacuga was still looking at Deimos, the fur behind its eyes going back to its normal shade of black, as it turned away and disappeared into the forest. Deimos sheathed his weapon, and fell down on the floor exhausted and bleeding, blacking out soon after.

‘...There he is...!’

‘...Is he going to be alright...?’

‘...his eye...!’

‘...he lost a lot of blood...’

Deimos could hear a symphony of familiar voices but he had no energy to open his eyes, especially his right eye. His sense of touch, however, was keenly acute, as he felt somebody tending to his wounds. A sharp pain caused him to open his left eye and make a grunt, as he tried to sit up. A strong force was pressed on his right chest, preventing him from getting up. He forced himself to open both his eyes and found that he was lying on Lio’s lap, looking upwards to his face. Lio was looking elsewhere, not knowing that Deimos was awake and looking at him. Lio soon turned and looked down at Deimos.

‘Don’t move, you’re hurt pretty badly.’ Deimos squirmed a little as he tried to get up again. The firm hand still on his chest, pressing him down.

‘Can you stop? We’re trying to fix you up properly, stop moving!’ Lio’s face was seen as a little annoyed and Deimos for some reason found this attractive. He felt a warm sensation in his chest but didn’t know what it was. The sharp pain was felt again, and this time he couldn’t resist seeing what was causing it, so he sat up.

‘Ahh!’ He looked forward to see the other three squad mates crushing godbugs and blue mushrooms into a very fine yellowish powder and applying it over his gashing wounds. Lio now repositioned his hands and placed it on Deimos’ shoulder pushing him down once again.

‘Please, relax. You need to rest.’ Deimos now just staring at Lio while lying on his lap. Deimos lifted his right arm slowly, and reached for Lio’s right cheek to turn it towards him before Deimos said.

‘I’m... sorry...’

‘Shh...’ Lio held on to Deimos’ right hand and placed it on Deimos’ chest, where he could feel his heartbeat slow down, and his eyes beginning to shut. Lio then turned his gaze toward the other three, who were busy tending to his wounds. He looked up to the sky, and realised that the sun was beginning to set. He didn’t like the idea of staying in the forest at night, but traversing it was an even more foolish idea. So he said to the three,

‘We’ll make camp here tonight. Rhen, Rhodes, and Phobos, you guys stay here and make sure Deimos is ok. Eros, come with me and find some food before it gets dark. You three try and find something we can burn and quickly make a fire. I want that fire extinguished before the sun sets.’ The three nodded, Eros and Lio heading out into the woods. Rhodes continued mending Deimos’ wounds while Rhen and Phobos went around collecting twigs and dead leaves, anything dried and free of moisture so that a fire could be started.

‘Don’t sit so close to the fire you stupid floof! You’ll get yourself a bald patch!’ Rhen pushing an eager Phobos who was enjoying the heat of the flame a little too much. After about an hour, two tall figures emerged from the dense forest.

‘They’re back’, Rhodes said calmly, as she finished patching up the last of Deimos’ wounds. Rhen turned and saw Eros carrying a bunch of sushifish, about three of them, while Lio had two jagras, one rested on each of his shoulders. They placed their catch in front of the fire, and Lio looked over to Deimos with a very concerned look on his face before looking at Rhodes.

‘How is he?’

‘His breathing has slowed down, and his heartrate is quite high. He’s stable, but he’s far from ok. It looks like he took a direct blow to his right eye too. The eye itself is fine, but I fear it might leave a scar.’ Rhodes said this before she stared at the fishes Eros caught with glistening eyes.

‘Are those sushifish? Give them here!’ Eros tossed her one of them, and she took a knife to peel off the scales of the fish. She handed the fish back to the guys as she wrapped the scales in a leaf, dipping it in honey before feeding it to Deimos. The three of them were frowning and Rhen stuck out her tongue in disgust, along with Phobos. Rhodes noticed their faces of disgust and enlightened them without turning towards them.

‘Sushifish scales have healing properties, and are exceptionally good at clotting wounds.’

‘Then what’s the leaf and the honey for?’ Eros asked curiously.

‘To help with the awful taste.’ The rest retained their looks of disgust, not envying Deimos’ state. They quickly prepared the meats, and started cooking it over the fire. Lio suggested that they cooked everything before eating so that they could extinguish the fire quickly. This resulted in a pile of food forming by the side, and the squad was now sitting in darkness enjoying their dinner. The area had a gap in the canopy, allowing the moon and the stars to illuminate that region, much like how the bath area back in Astera was illuminated. The air was stale but cool, making the night both comfortable and quiet. Deimos woke up to a painful sensation from his right eye. He opened his left eye and turned his face to see Phobos licking his wounds. He smiled, and gave him a little ruffle on his head before saying,

‘I know you mean well, but that hurts like a bitch!’ Deimos was soon distracted by the smell of cooked meat as his stomach began rumbling. He pushed himself up with his left arm and as soon as Rhodes noticed, she helped him sit up by supporting his left arm. After which, she handed him some of the cooked meat to eat.

‘Thanks...’ Deimos sunk his teeth into the brown unseasoned sushifish meat that filled his mouth with a natural sweetness. The rest of the squad were now staring at him with a concerned look, without a word being said. Deimos looked at them with a raised eyebrow, until Lio spoke up.

‘Uhh... How are you feeling?’ Deimos looked down at his body, and while he could not see much, he could feel the cuts and bruises on his arms and legs, just thinking about it caused the wounds to pulse and hurt. He was also instinctively keeping his right eye shut as he lifted his hand to touch the cut. Rhodes stopped him with her right arm.

‘It’s quite bad, don’t aggravate it.’ Deimos then turned to the rest of the squad, smiling.

‘Yeah I’m good. I’m worried about that Nargacuga though.’ The squad’s jaws seemed to drop simultaneously as they heard this, before Rhen spoke up.

‘The Nargacuga did all this to you and you’re worried if it’s ok? You really do have issues wonder boy.’ Deimos chuckled before looking back at them with a more serious expression.

‘Well, the creature was just defending itself, much like me. But while I have you guys tending to my wounds, it doesn’t. You guys got food for me because I couldn’t get it on my own, but who’s going to get food for it? It’s probably laying in its nest right now hungry and in pain.’ Deimos mustered whatever little strength he had left to stand up and walk over to where Nargacuga’s chipped nail was and picked it up. He looked into the pitch black forest where he saw Nargacuga last run off and repeated to himself softly.

‘I hope you’re ok buddy.’


	11. Red in Tooth and Claw

Deimos felt a slight tickle on his forehead, followed shortly by a soft, wet sensation.

‘Stop it buddy, it’s a little early for this...’ Deimos used his right hand to brush off what he thought was Phobos. His hand felt fur as he tried to push the creature away, but the fur was different from Phobos’, this one was much shorter and firmer. The moment this foreign sensation was felt, Deimos opened both his eyes, and saw a pilot hare on top of his face staring down at him. Pilot hares are ferret-like creatures with long droopy ears coated in white and brown stripped fur. They are very timid animals and rarely come in such close proximity with other living creatures. Deimos was therefore surprised to find one so comfortable in his presence.

‘Hey there, little guy!’ Deimos scratching the underside of the hare’s chin, causing it to react very similarly to Phobos, squealing in delight while tapping its right feet uncontrollably. Lio woke up shortly after, and saw Deimos interacting with the animal while wearing a sweet smile across his face. This caused Lio to instinctively smile as well as he looked at the two. The hare noticed Lio looking, and perked its ears up before scurrying off into the bushes. Deimos turned to the direction the hare was looking to see what could’ve possibly scared the little critter off, and saw Lio seated up, smiling at him. Deimos returned the smile, as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Lio walked over and sat down by his side, with the rest of the squad still soundly asleep.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘I feel fine. The medicine Rhodes used is very effective, I can hardly feel the sting of the cuts anymore.’ Deimos said this while running his hands through the still visible cuts around his body. He then felt a warm hand on his right cheek followed by a finger running through the claw marks on his face. Lio then asked again.

‘And what about these? Do these hurt?’ Deimos raised his right hand now to feel the contours of the claw marks on his face and he shook his head at Lio. This forced a smile on Lio’s face.

‘Good to hear, cause they still look painful.’ Even though Deimos was relieved by the pain of his wounds, they were still recovering. Even though the bleeding has stopped, the wounds have barely clotted fully, the pinkish flesh only starting to turn into a faint red colour. Lio’s face now changed to that of concern once again, with his hand still on Deimos’ face.

‘Hey, I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.’ Deimos reassured him.

‘I’m not worried about the wounds, I’m worried about our conversation previously. I can’t help but feel you ended up like this because of what I said.’ Lio’s grip on Deimos’ cheek began to get a little firmer, sending a clear signal of his frustration with himself. Deimos placed his right hand over Lio’s and the physical contact immediately caused the tensed hand to relax.

‘It wasn’t your fault, I was in a bad place and you tried to pull me out, but it didn’t work. I gotta figure some things on my own sometimes. Cut yourself some slack.’ At these words, Lio felt a wave of comfort now coursing through his body. However, he still wasn’t pleased with the way he handled the situation, something to think about, he thought to himself. Lio retracted his arm and started a new conversation.

‘So I see you’re amazing with animals, I really love seeing you so calm and composed in front of them.’ Deimos was a natural when it came to wildlife. He had a sincere love toward them and their pure innocence always somehow found its way into his heart.

‘Yeah. They live simply, communicate simply, and are simple creatures. Humans are the ones that are a mess. I’m a good example.’ Lio didn’t like it when Deimos belittled himself like that, but at the same time, he didn’t want a repeat of yesterday’s incident, so he was left speechless and staring at Deimos.

‘Uhh... Something on your mind?’ Deimos now noticing this awkward behaving Lio.

‘Well, yes... But you’ve heard me say it multiple times so I’m not going to say it again.’ Deimos laughed and replied.

‘It’s ok, you can say it to me again. I love being complimented by you.’ Lio started blushing now, quite a rare sight in fact. I guess it was because he was somewhat surprised with Deimos’ response.

‘Ohh ok then. I wanted to say that while I agree with you that we humans are a mess, I think we can be pure and innocent too. We’re just like the animals, finding our place in this world, this ecosystem, and sometimes we get lost. But the important thing is we don’t stop trying to find out who we are and what we want.’ Deimos smiled at this, responding simply.

‘Thank you’, as he reached out to take Lio’s left hand, squeezing it tightly. The squad began waking up, with Rhodes being the first, followed by Eros and Rhen still asleep. Rhodes immediately went over to the two gentlemen who were already awake and looked at Deimos asking.

‘How are you feeling?’ Deimos looked at her and was using his right hand to reach towards his wounded right eye when she stopped him saying.

‘Don’t touch it! Your hands are filthy. Let me apply more of the lifepowder, it should speed up the healing.’ As Rhodes left them to find the leftover ingredients, Deimos looked at Lio who was clearly feeling guilty of touching Deimos’ face all over just now. Lio stood up and went over to Eros and said.

‘Morning dude, wanna get breakfast?’ Eros still rubbing his eyes, replied.

‘Yes please. I’ll have a...’ Lio rolled his eyes and grabbed his right armpit, pulling him up so quick that his blood rushed to his brain, enlarging his eyes.

‘I mean, let’s go get our breakfast.’ Eros looked around and began internalising the fact that they were in the middle of the jungle and had to survive on their own. He came to his sense before turning toward Lio and said.

‘Ohh, right, breakfast, get, yes. Let’s go.’ Deimos was trying to get up when he heard the two talk about catching their morning meal.

‘Hey wait, I want to come along too!’ Rhodes glared at him and raised her voice a little.

‘Are you mental? You’re in no position to do anything but rest. Sit your ass down!’ Lio and Eros looked at each other, and decided they should leave quickly before things got messy. The two went ahead, and disappeared into the dense vegetation.

‘I’m... fine... really...’ Deimos trying to resist Rhodes from applying more medicine over his wounds. Rhodes was tolerant at first but started to get a little frustrated with him.

‘Can you stop fretting, you baby. Sit still!’ Deimos hadn’t seen Rhodes behave like this before, but she had a commanding voice and energy to her that compelled him to listen. Rhen’s snoring was getting louder after each breath, until eventually a loud snort woke her up as she sat up straight and stared at Deimos and Rhodes with her eyes wide open.

‘Who the f-... Who snorted so loudly?! Is Poogie here or something?’ Rhen was looking around frantically, with her eyes still blood-shot from waking up.

‘The snort did come from a pig.’ Rhodes said.

‘Where?’ Rhen was still looking around until she saw the two squad mates in front now looking directly at her smiling.

‘You fuck...’ Deimos and Rhodes burst out laughing as Rhen was tumbling around on the ground, trying to get up. Rhen finally got up and walked over to the two, and started helping Rhodes apply the medicine on Deimos. Rhodes was applying the medicine on Deimos’ legs, so Rhen decided to help with the upper body.

‘Lie down fool, it’ll be easier for me.’ Deimos rolled his eyes at her and lay down on his back.

‘Close your eyes!’ Rhen demanded.

‘For fuck?’ Deimos challenged.

‘For your fucked up eye you moron! Did you forget you have a hickey there too?’ Deimos almost laughed, but he refused to give in to this woman. So he maintained a straight face as he closed his eyes. He felt Rhen’s soft fingers apply the moist powder onto his right eye. He then felt her hands on his arms, applying the medicine. She applied it in a very different manner from Rhodes. Rhodes are quick, and gentle, while Rhen was rough and messy, applying inconsistent amounts of medicine for each wound. Deimos didn’t expect much from her honestly, and was already glad that she even wanted to help. Deimos’ mind was about to drift when he felt Rhen’s hand on his chest. He didn’t remember having cuts there, but didn’t bother opening his eyes to check since his memory of the fight wasn’t a clear one and he might have been mistaken. Her hands went lower to his abs. Again, not remembering whether he had cuts there, but once again he ignored it. The physical contact was triggering a response down south and it didn’t help that he had his eyes close. What was this woman up to, he wondered. The hands continued lower, to a point where once it reached his oblique, his alarms went off, immediately opening his eyes to see Rhen’s hands attempting to slot into his coil and into his pants. He was about to stop her when Rhodes beat him to it shouting at her.

‘You imbecile! What in the bloody hell are you doing?!’ Rhen got a shock and pulled her hands out. She replied confidently.

‘I’m trying to be thorough! You never know where the Nargacuga cut wonder boy! A quill might have slipped into his pants without him knowing, hurting his boo boo.’ She tried to sneak her hands in again as she said this. Deimos pushed her in the shoulder with his left arm, telling her to stop her nonsense.

‘You wasted all the lifepowder rubbing it over his chest and abs! There aren’t even any cuts there!’ Rhen was giving Rhodes a cheeky grin when she replied.

‘I know, but look at Deimos all wet and shiny now.’ Deimos’ body was now glistening a little under the morning sun with all the medicine over his toned body. Rhodes started to blush a little because Deimos did look sexier like this, but she remained objective staring at Rhen.

‘You retard, you’re coming with me to collect mushrooms later because you wasted all of the medicine.’ Rhen started faking a cry.

‘Nooooo! Anything but mushrooms! Please...!’ Rhodes ignored her as she finished tending to the remaining wounds on Deimos’ leg. Even though Deimos was a little uncomfortable with that ordeal, he did find himself getting used to Rhen’s teasing. It was, in a way, practice for him to have more control over his body, and also learn a little something about himself. For one, it seems massaging had a certain effect on him, and while it caused him to relax, it also turned him on quite a bit. He was beginning to see a trend, with this now happening to him twice in the past week. Once Rhodes was done, she began tidying up the leftovers, and putting them aside neatly. Deimos sat up and said to her.

‘Thank you. It’s a good thing you came along with us. I wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for you.’ Rhodes turned to him, surprised at the comment. She smiled at him, knowing what he was trying to do, and gave him a friendly nod. Lio and Eros returned with fruits and berries in their hands. They came over, and piled them over on a leaf.

‘We’ve washed them already. Everyone have a little something before we head back to Astera.’ Deimos looked up at Lio, a little surprised with his statement.

‘Are we not supposed to recce the canopy area? We haven’t done that yet.’

‘Easy there tiger, I’m well aware, but you’re not exactly in the best shape for us to be doing that now. We will do that another day, and I’ll tell the council to postpone the operation...’ Deimos’ eyes enlarged as he raised his voice a little.

‘No! I won’t allow everyone to delay their plans because of this little set-back. It’s nothing! Please, let’s just continue, I can do it!’ Deimos’ eyes were looking a little desperate. While Lio’s mind was already made up, so he decided to let the team discuss this since Deimos felt so strongly about it. The first person he looked to was Rhodes, for obvious reasons, he wanted her judgement on his medical condition as a first step to this discussion. Rhodes caught the cue, and started speaking.

*Sigh* ‘Deimos is in no condition to do any form of strenuous activity. That means no running, exercising, and definitely no fighting. Your wounds might not hurt now but they are still recovering. The medicine I applied had strong analgesic properties, that’s why you don’t feel any pain.’ Deimos didn’t rebut because he knew he couldn’t, but he still wanted the expedition to continue, and it was clear how desperate he was. He gave Rhodes a human’s version of puppy eyes. Rhodes then turned to Lio and said.

‘But I guess he can manage hiking.’ Deimos was elated to hear this as a wide smile appeared on his face, showing some degree of teeth.

‘And you have to let me apply your medicine.’ Deimos nodded obediently like a little child, now looking back at Lio.

‘Alright... Fine. But you have to promise me that if you ever feel pain or tired, we stop and rest immediately. Your safety will now be our priority.’ Deimos agreed as the squad finished up their breakfast, and got ready to leave. Lio brought the squad to where the northwest camp was going to be located specifically, but did not bring them to the exact spot. He pointed at it from afar, showing them how much vegetation was protecting it.

‘I see why it wasn’t a concern for you guys that Zorah might get in the way. It really is well protected.’ Rhodes said as Lio pointed at the campsite.

‘Yup. Furthermore, the entrance to the campsite is extremely narrow, so it’ll be difficult for large monsters to intrude, making it perfect.’ Lio reassured the team. He now looked up a wall of vines, that led upwards toward the Ancient Tree. Its large and long roots could be seen all around the forest, sometimes mistaken for the ground itself. Lio turned back to the squad and prepared them.

‘The climb up will be mostly vertical, so pace yourselves. We will have frequent breaks, and please watch out for portholes and slippery roots. It’s like a whole other ecosystem up there and I don’t know what we’ll find.’ As Lio finished, he turned and led the squad up toward the Ancient Tree. It was amazing, the Ancient Tree was hollow in the centre. This caused a whole new ecosystem to thrive inside. While at first glance only agents of decay could be found, where there is death, there is life as well. Mushrooms were growing abundantly, right next to blooming flowers and long thick vines. Even some creatures make their home inside the great tree, insects like the vigorwasp, that drink the saturated juices of tree’s amber. Mosswines use the cover of the bark as protection from its predators, and even some jagras make their way here for the occasional break from the scorching sun. It was truly a breathtaking experience. Deimos was glad that he managed to convince the squad to continue the expedition, as his heart raced with excitement and anticipation.

‘Mandragora! I didn’t know they grew in forests like these!’ Rhodes started to get excited over an orange coloured mushroom that was growing in the middle of the pathway.

‘Why is it growing like that? Did it get lost on its way home or something?’ Rhen joked, noticing that the mushroom was growing in a very peculiar spot.

‘Mandragora are parasitic mushrooms, they flourish at the expense of other living things. You notice nothing lives near it, because those that do rarely survive.’ Rhodes explained.

‘Well then why are you so excited to have found this evil mushroom?’ Rhen asked.

‘It is precisely because of this property that it can be useful in the correct dosages. Mandragora added with your potions can kill viruses and infections within your body within minutes. It’s really amazing.’ Rhen was staring at Rhodes sceptically, with her fear of mushrooms clearly still overpowering this marvel.

‘Can I take some now to heal my wounds?’ Deimos asked.

‘No my dear, it’ll probably kill you. You are suffering from external wounds, not an internal infection. You don’t need potions, you need rest.’ Rhodes explained. The squad carried on climbing the hollow tree, discovering more and more interesting life forms within this new world. They reached what looked like the centre of the tree, where a spiral path was seen going up vertically to the top of the tree with a hollow centre. The squad looked up, and saw the stunning hypnotic view of the tree above them. Lio turned to the team and asked.

‘Is everyone ok? Do we need a break?’ Everyone shook their heads except Rhen, still staring at the mushrooms around them, afraid they might pounce and attack her the moment she turned her back on them.

‘Alright, cause we’re almost at the canopy. Once we get past this spiral, we’ll be there.’ The spiral was no short distance, and while it was stunning to see, it was much less stunning to overcome, considering how steep it was too. The group began climbing the spiral path, Lio staying at the back making sure Deimos was ok. He placed his left hand over Deimos’ right shoulder asking again.

‘You alright bud?’ Deimos looked at him and smiled.

‘Yeah...’ *Pant* ‘... I’m good’, Deimos was tired, but he was fine. He could feel the cuts beginning to dig a little deeper into his skin after each step he took, with the increased amount of blood now coursing through his body. Lio returned the smile, as his hand slid down his shoulder blades and onto his lower back. Deimos liked it when Lio touched him, he had a certain soft yet firm sensation. As Deimos was enjoying this moment, he was knocked back into reality as he felt a light slap on his right butt cheek. He turned to look at a now smirking Lio, who refused to look at him. Deimos was a little startled but retaliated with a push on Lio’s left shoulder with his right hand. The squad made it about halfway up, where they found a small pond and an opening by the tree bark that provided them with quite a view of the forest. Lio decided that this was a good time to take a break.

‘Just a little more before we reach the top, but let’s rest a little for now.’ Rhodes rushed immediately to Deimos, preparing his next dosage of medicine, getting him to sit down as she applied it. Rhen sat next to Lio and asked him.

‘Please tell me there’s a shortcut down.’ Lio looked at her and said.

‘Unless you want to grab unto a wingdrake, no. We have to go back the way we came.’ Rhen rolled her eyes as she got up and walked over to Eros and Phobos who were catching fishes in the pond. Lio went over to Rhodes and asked her.

‘Do we have enough medicine for the journey back?’

‘We should have enough.’ Rhodes replied confidently. Their conversation was interrupted by a loud but weak roar. This caused the squad to assume the prone position quickly. They remained still and silent, trying to assess the situation. A few seconds later, they heard it again. The roar was coming from above, and it sounded oddly familiar to Deimos. He was the first to get up on his feet, as Lio signalled him to get down. He ignored him. Deimos started creeping up the spiral path to get a closer look at what was making the noise. As he reached a reasonable height, he saw the familiar black furred creature that he encountered a day ago; the same Nargacuga. It was rested at the top of the spiral path, on a platform made of vines. It was asleep, but clearly in pain, as it made a frown with every breath it took, revealing the pinkish flesh of its raw and exposed wounds. Deimos’ heart was in pieces as he went back down the spiral to the squad, grabbed Rhodes’ medicine along with some fish that Eros and Phobos caught before making his way back up.

‘Where are you goin-... What is he doing?!’ Lio whispered to Rhodes as she shrugged her shoulders, clearly as confused as he was. The squad, out of desperation, got up and followed Deimos as quickly and as silently as they could. Deimos was now in front of the sleeping beast, and was careful not to startle it as he made his advancement. As he moved closer, the vines startled to crack and rustle under the pressure of his feet, this faint noise was enough to alert to Nargacuga, causing it to perk its ears with its eyes still closed. Deimos stopped. Soon after, the beast’s nose began twitching, clearly picking up his scent, it then opened its eyes and saw Deimos right in front of it. It got up and into a familiar defensive stance, revealing to Deimos its now badly scarred and weak body. Its chipped paw was bleeding, and trembling while still trying to hold its body weight, the neck wound was red as he saw the cut he made with his blade, and the side of its face was a little swollen on its left side. Deimos was distraught, kneeling down slowly, and taking his charge blade off from his back and placing it on the ground beside him.

‘What the fuck is he doing?!’ Rhen asked, clearly as shocked as the rest of the squad. Their instincts were telling them to charge in and help him but somehow that didn’t feel right. They were left in this dilemma as they continued watching Deimos interact with the towering creature. Nargacuga began growling softly as it saw the weapon that wounded it, but stopped once it saw Deimos rest it on the ground. Deimos then slowly got up again, and walked towards Nargacuga.

‘Why would he-...’ Lio was grabbing his hair in disbelief, and Rhen was close to fainting, for real this time. Eros and Rhodes had their hands over their mouths to ensure they didn’t make any sudden noises. Each step that Deimos took, the Nargacuga took a step back, until it reached the edge of the platform, where it had nowhere else to go. It stopped, and at this point, it let out the familiar screeching roar that pierced Deimos’ ears, sending the same pain through his body once again as he covered his ears. This time it wasn’t as powerful, and so the discomfort lasted for a much shorter duration, allowing him to regain his senses quickly and maintain his gaze with the beast. As Deimos got closer, he could see the Nargacuga beginning to study his foe once again. But this time, it did so in a calmer manner. The Nargacuga was observing Deimos’ body as well, looking at the cuts and wounds, this caused the creature to begin letting its guard down, as Deimos saw its shoulders beginning to relax a little. Once Deimos was about a metre away from the beast, he lowered himself yet again, and tossed the fish gently toward the mouth of the monster. Nargacuga was initially shocked by the fish hitting the ground, as it closed in slowly taking a whiff, before swallowing the fish whole and looking at Deimos again. Deimos tossed a second and a third one, Nargacuga swallowing two at one go this time. Its eyes were a little less sharp now, however still maintaining its gaze.

‘That’s all I have buddy, sorry.’ Deimos said softly, as he continued walking toward the beast. He was now unnecessarily close to the creature, as he reached out his right hand and stopped it just before it touched Nargacuga’s snout. Nargacuga stared at the hand for a very long while, contemplating what this means. Deimos just smiled at it and said to himself.

‘Whenever you’re ready.’ After a few uncomfortable minutes, Nargacuga chose to advance, and pressed its snout onto Deimos’ palm. This was not the first time he felt its fur, and yet, the sensation was nothing familiar. The hardened fur was now soft, and the tense muscles of the beast were now relaxed and weak. He noticed Nargacuga’s eyes closing, as it fell over to its side, wailing in pain. Deimos quickly used the lifepowder that Rhodes prepared for him, and began applying it over its wounds. Nargacuga gave an extremely loud roar when the powder touched its now infected wounds, giving everyone, including Deimos, a bit of a fright. Rhodes, started creeping over, and said to Deimos softly.

‘It’s wounds are infected, I don’t think the lifepowder will do much at this point. The mandragora might work better here.’ Deimos was confused as how he would administer it, so he asked Rhodes.

‘So we just apply it or...’ Rhodes’ face turned to that of concern as she responded.

‘No, it has to be ingested’. Great, telling this to me now when I have no more fish? Deimos thought. He signalled Rhodes to prepare it while he continued applying whatever he could to the non-infected areas. Rhodes returned with a paste and handed it over to Deimos on a leaf.

‘Here, I soaked it in honey, hopefully it’ll be to its liking.’ Deimos gave her a grateful smile, before placing some of the paste onto this left hand.

‘Are you crazy?! You’re going to hand feed it?’ Rhodes grabbed Deimos’ arm that was reaching towards its mouth. Deimos nodded without saying a word as he continued his way toward Nargacuga’s mouth, overpowering Rhodes’ arm. He brought it close to Nargacuga’s nose, allowing it to sniff its medicine, hoping it will take it willingly. Then as if it knew what it was, it stuck out its tongue allowing Deimos to rest his palm on it. Surprisingly, it was dry and rough, allowing the viscous medicine to stick easily onto it as it retracted back into its mouth. Rhodes was amazed by how natural Deimos was, staring at him while he continued feeding it. After he finished applying the lifepowder and feeding the mandragora, he rested his right hand on the Nargacuga’s neck, feeling its strong pulse and breathing slow down as it fell asleep. He noticed the wailing and whining stopped, which relieved Deimos’ aching heart. Rhodes stood up and returned to the squad that was still frozen in place.

‘He’s amazing, I don’t know how he does it.’

‘Yeah, he is amazing.’ Lio and Eros replied in unison.

‘A good hunter is supposed to overpower their foe, not take care of them.’ Everyone now turned to stare at Rhen, annoyed that she ruined yet another wonderful moment. A smile slowly appeared on her face as she continued.

‘A great hunter, knows how to respect his foes’, Rhen finished her statement with confidence. The rest loosened their gaze as they turned back towards Deimos who was now patting the Nargacuga along its neck as it slept. Deimos went down to the pond to get more fish, placing it in front of the Nargacuga before he looked to the rest and said.

‘Ok, so where’s the camp?’ Lio smiled at him, and said.

‘It’s just over here, behind these vines. Is it... going to be ok?’ Lio said looking over at the Nargacuga.

‘It’ll be fine. We’ve done all we can.’ Deimos now looked back at the Nargacuga. The squad traversed the vines, before they found themselves outside the hollow trunk of the tree, with platforms made entirely of thick branches and dense vines.

‘I see why fighting here won’t be ideal.’ Eros commented. Lio didn’t want to spend unnecessary amounts of time here due to how vulnerable and exposed they were. He led the squad up the vines to a platform above where they entered, which immediately greeted them with an unobstructed view of the entire forest and beyond. The squad could see Astera below as well, and how tiny it looked.

‘This view is beautiful! And you can really see miles ahead.’ Eros said in awe. The squad was enjoying the view and Rhen was making weird noises of pleasure when Rhodes covered her mouth her right hand, looking up, her face turning pale. Lio noticed, and asked her.

‘What’s wrong?’

Rhodes refused to turn her gaze, and now had her other hand over her own mouth as she began stepping backwards. Lio looked up, and his face started to turn pale as well. Directly above them, a spiked tail was dangling downward, swinging and swaying in the wind. It looked just like a Rathalos tail, except it was purple in colour, and considerably skinnier. Eros and Deimos noticed the weird actions of the two squad mates, causing them to survey their surroundings, eventually seeing the tail as well. They could vaguely see the silhouette of the creature, and it looked like a bird, with ears perked up and a feathery mane around its neck. It wasn’t very large, in fact about half the size of a Rathalos, which didn’t really help with its intimidating look. Its body was skinny, but layered with strong, hard, deep purple scales. The beast had a very distinct lower jaw that was significantly larger and broader than its upper jaw, giving it a severe underbite. It was a very dirty grey colour, which made it look like it was made of bone. The pointed beak was surrounded with sharp edges that looked like teeth protruding out of its lower jaw. Deimos wasn’t sure what to feel towards this thing and so whispered to the terrified Rhodes, hoping she could enlighten them about this creature beyond its physical appearance.

‘What in the hell is that?’ Rhodes turned to him and responded with a cracking voice.

‘Yian Garuga’.


	12. Winds of Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘We are in no position to fight that thing, we need to leave now. Back off, slowly...’ Lio whispered to the team with his eyes still locked unto the spiked tail of the beast. His hands outstretched on both sides, shielding them from the monster. The squad was almost back at the entrance of the opened canopy when a gust of wind blew toward them. Yian Garuga’s feathery mane was now resonating with the wind, as it turned its head around to survey its surrounding.

‘Shit!’ Lio stopped the squad from moving and stood still, hoping that the beast will not spot them. The creature’s eyes roamed the canopy and in an 180 degree angle, before resting its eyes on the squad directly behind it on a platform below. It maintained its gaze for a moment, before Lio saw its pupils dilate as it got up on its clawed feet. Lio was unsure with what to do, so he whispered over to Rhodes.

‘What should we do?’ Rhodes tried to control her volume but was obviously in a panic already as she replied.

‘RUN!’ She was the first to turn her body to run back into the false protection of the hollowed tree, with the rest following her. They ran past the still resting Nargacuga, and descended the spiral path as quickly as they could. The moment they reached their previous resting spot with the small pond, Yian Garuga swooped in from the opening and landed in front of them. Lio noticed that the hollow centre of tree trunk had multiple wedge beetles that they could latch onto with their slingers, and with the Yian Garuga standing in their way, he saw no other option. With no time to coordinate, he grabbed Deimos round his waist with his right arm and jumped off, firing his slingshot and latching it unto a wedge beetle to slow down their descent. Eros grabbed Rhodes in a similar way and followed suit, Rhen following closely behind. They landed on the base of the tree, and looked up to see the airborne bird wyvern descending as well.

‘This bird is crazy!’ Rhen screamed as she ran with the others out of the Ancient Tree. The squad was now at their old campsite when Lio turned to them and said.

‘I think we should head to the Northwest campsite, the thick vegetation should...’ Rhodes interrupted quickly and intentionally.

‘There is no hiding from a Yian Garuga. Keep running until we reach the Great Jagras’ lair!’ Lio had never seen Rhodes this flustered before, and took a quick look at everyone, checking if they were alright before continuing. Just as Lio was thinking of slowing down for the sake of Deimos, he heard the sound of wood cracking and breaking. He turned around to take a glimpse of the Ancient Tree entrance they just exited from to see the Yian Garuga using its hardened beak to smash old bark and logs in its way like they were made of glass. He dismissed his thoughts of slowing down, and started running faster. The squad slid down the slope carefully and arrived at the cave entrance where they quickly entered and stopped to take a breath. Rhodes insisted that they went deeper into the cave, out of sight of any creature that would peak in from the entrance. They hid behind a rock, before everyone looked at Rhodes, expecting an explanation for what they had just encountered.

‘That... was a Yian Garuga. I didn’t know you guys had those in the Ancient Forest!’ Lio frowned at her and said.

‘We didn’t know either. What can you tell us about them? What are they like?’ Lio’s eyes now filled with curiosity. Rhen interrupted and raised her voice a little.

‘They are crazy birds, that’s what they are! Fucking hairy chickens.’ Rhodes looked at her but did not correct her. Instead, she added on.

‘Rhen isn’t entirely wrong. While the Yian Garuga is technically a wyvern, it is classified under the Bird Wyvern category because of its feathery mane and its bird-like behaviour.’ Rhodes took a breath before continuing. ‘Yian Garugas are known to be extremely territorial. They enjoy resting on elevated platforms to survey for intruders that wander into their territory, which include lower level regions as well. That’s why it followed us all the way down.’

‘Well then why would the Nargacuga rest in the hollow tree trunk? Unless it didn’t know that was...’ Rhodes interjected once again.

‘Ohh it knows. But Nargacuga took a calculated risk to rest there because Yian Garugas are not particular fond of tight and enclosed spaces. Notice how the Yian Garuga did not follow us through the vines, but flew around to engage us from the large hole in the tree trunk. The Nargacuga knew what it was doing.’ Eros, as if having an epiphany, had his eyes lit up for about a minute after appreciating the intelligence of the beast.

‘So what now?’ Deimos asked.

‘Now, we head back to Astera and report our findings. Having a Yian Garuga in the forest does change things a bit. We might have to rethink our plans.’ Lio explained, as he got up. The squad recollected themselves, and got up to follow Lio. As they were about to exit the cave, Deimos noticed there was something different, like something was missing. He looked around the cave before exiting but couldn’t put his finger on it, so he decided to dismiss it and left. The group followed the path they took when trying to get into the cave; circling round the area from bush to bush, having had enough monster encounters for one expedition. They made their way round the zone, and were back at the thick vines they entered from initially, only now, the vines were replaced with a giant hole.

‘Umm... I’m pretty sure this wasn’t here before.’ Rhen making an unnecessarily obvious remark. The squad just stood there inspecting the size of the hole that was almost three metres in height and two metres in width. The squad did not want to fathom a guess what monster did this, and they just went back the way they came, hoping that the monster that created that hole was not heading in the same direction. Their hopes were dampened, when they noticed skid marks on the floor, that dragged in the same direction they were running towards. Tensions were rising within the squad, feeling anxious of what else they might encounter before reaching the safety of Astera. As they turned the corner to where they encountered the Aptonoth, what stood before them was considerably less friendly and much larger. Their eyes were flooded with a familiar bright yellow figure with green strips along its back all the way through to its tail. Now Deimos realised what was missing from the cave: the Great Jagras. The beast hadn’t noticed them, and was just drinking water by the river, so they crept behind it while maintaining vision of it. The moment they were at a safe distance, the squad stood up and began picking up the pace. They were immediately stopped by a slight tremor in the ground. The squad looked at each other, puzzled by it, Rhodes and Eros looked back to see the Great Jagras clearly aware of it too as it stopped its drinking and started looking around. The tremor started getting stronger and faster as Lio spoke up saying.

‘I think I know what’s coming. We need to move and hope it doesn’t spot us.’ At this, they crouched back down into their sneaking stance, and continued making their way toward Astera, trying to ignore the increasingly nerve-wracking tremors. They came up to a straight runway, where the wooden gates of Astera could be seen, and the squad looked at each other with joy on their faces as they began running towards it. Then the tremors became too violent to ignore, and this time, it was coming from their left. With the gates just in front, the squad tried to suppress their curiosity and make getting into Astera their priority. Just before they reached the gate, however, the Great Jagras leapt out from the bushes on their left and into the middle of the pathway, blocking them. The squad stopped, with this living obstacle now in their way. The Great Jagras was not facing them, and it was facing the very direction that it leapt out from. The squad turned and faced the same direction of the creature, as they felt the tremor get stronger once again. Then a pinkish figure with black fur adorned on its back and neck emerged from the cover of the bushes and trees. The beast opened its gigantic mouth to allow a deafening roar to escape its vocal chords, causing both the squad and the Great Jagras to shut their eyes in discomfort. Lio looked at his old adversary in the eye saying to himself.

‘Why now...?’ They had no choice but to wait it out, seeing the two enormous monsters getting ready to fight. The lizard raised its huge star-shaped feet and attempted to claw at the Anjanath’s face. The Anjanath being much taller, evaded it with ease. The Great Jagras then turned its body around to build momentum and hit the Anjanath with its tail. This caused the Anjanath to shift its position in order to regain its balance. Its snout now extended, showing off the huge mucus-coated nostrils as it ignited it and blew it toward the Great Jagras. A cone of flames spewed out from its nose and scalded the Great Jagras’ back. The Great Jagras retaliated with another claw swipe, as the Anjanath saw the opportunity to go for its jugular. It evaded the claw swipe to the side this time, before opening up its massive jaws and clamping down onto the Great Jagras’ neck. At this, Lio said.

‘Get ready’, the moment he saw the Anjanath biting down onto the Great Jagars’ neck, he knew the lizard had no chance, and it was only a matter of time before this battle concluded. True enough, the Anjanath’s powerful jaws began contracting, crushing the neck of the Great Jagras, killing it instantly.

‘Now!’ Lio got up and made a run past the gruesome scene. The Anjanath could not react in time to deal with the smaller intruders, so it tossed the lifeless body of the Great Jagras toward the gate. Deimos was the last to get past the gate, and Lio shouted at him.

‘Jump!’ Deimos did so, and Lio cut the rope holding the gate up, causing it to fall shut shortly after Deimos made it through while still in the air. Deimos fell flat on his face, as the squad immediately heard a loud thump again the gate, seeing that the gate bearing saved them from the large flying carcass. Lio ran over to Deimos, helping him up and dusting off the dirt from his body.

‘You alright?’ Deimos looked at him and nodded, feeling the pain from the aches and cuts on his body starting to return. Lio saw Deimos’ painful expression and offered.

‘You know I carried you once before, I can do it again if you want.’ Lio looking at Deimos innocently, while Deimos couldn’t help but put on a cheeky smile.

‘What?’ Lio questioned.

‘Nothing. It’s alright, I can manage. Thanks’, Deimos responded while patting Lio gently on his right cheek with his left hand. Rhodes accompanied Deimos to the medical centre while Rhen, Eros and Lio went straight to commander Rion to report their findings from the expedition.

‘What did this to you, young man?’ one of the senior nurses asked Deimos while tending to his wounds. Rhodes beat him to it saying.

‘A Nargacuga’, the nurses eyes enlarged at the sound of that name, and looked at Rhodes saying.

‘Really? I never knew they were still around in the Ancient Forest.’ Rhodes was extremely confused, it seemed like nobody knew what was living in the forest just outside their gates.

‘You guys didn’t know? So I guess Yian Garuga wasn’t the fir-...’ the nurse interrupted.

‘Yian Garuga? In the Ancient Forest? Ohh these are mad times indeed. As if Zorah wasn’t bad enough, now we have these troublemakers too. Good thing you hunters are here to regain a bit of control.’ Deimos was extremely agitated by this nurse’s comments, but he resisted the urge to argue with her. He had no energy and was exhausted. The nurse finished patching Deimos up quickly, and ended the treatment with a vigorwasp tea, similar to the last time. He drank it, and told Rhodes that they should join the others. She agreed, and they left.

‘Are you absolutely certain?’ Rion questioned the three of them.

‘Yes Dad, a Nargacuga guards the Northwest campsite and a Yian Garuga guards the canopy campside. Deimos managed to fight off the Nargacuga but...’ Rion raised his left hand to stop his son.

‘Deimos? You mean the injured hunter? He fought this creature alone?’

Lio nodded. ‘That’s why he’s in the medical centre now, he got hurt pretty bad.’ As Lio finished saying this, Deimos and Rhodes entered Rion’s private tent to join the meeting. Rion’s tent was on the same level as Lio’s but were separated by four vacant tents.

‘Please, come in and join us.’ Rion gestured to the two newcomers.

‘So I heard from my son that there are two unexpected obstacles now in our way; a Nargacuga and a Yian Garuga. This does change things.’ Rion had his right hand stroking his stubby chin, deep in thought. Eros decided to speak up.

‘Well I think the Northwest campsite is still obtainable since Deimos kind of made friends with the...’ Deimos held his hand up toward Eros to stop him as he explained.

‘Just because I fed it medicine and food, does not mean we’re friends. There is a mutual respect that I give to wild animals and as much as I would love to see it returned, it is never expected. So its best we continue to assume Nargacuga to be a threat for now.’ Rion was already impressed with Deimos for singlehandedly taking down a Nargacuga, but could’ve sworn he heard Deimos just say he fed and tended to this creature after their battle which was absurd. So he clarified.

‘Did I just hear you say you fed the creature that hurt you?’ Rion now had his right eyebrow raised.

‘Yes Sir. I found it wounded and hungry after our fight, so I went to feed it some fish and applied medicine on its wounds. It surprisingly allowed me, so I took care of it as best I could.’ Rion turned to look at Lio with a stern but impressed look on his face before looking back at Deimos.

‘You are... I’ve never met a hunter like you before. You have such a profound understanding of nature and deep-rooted respect for it. It is an honour to have you here in Astera helping us fight for our cause. You help remind us that while we fight for our own survival, we must remember not to lose ourselves in the process.’ Deimos returned Rion’s kind words with a grateful nod as Rhen nudged him in his right arm with her elbow, smirking at him. The rest also turned toward him, sharing the commander’s sentiment. At this, Rion continued addressing the table.

‘It seems that our plans might have to undergo some changes. I’m open to suggestions.’ Rion gave the table the liberty to throw out ideas, and allowed for moments of silence for thinking and brainstorming. Rhodes decided to speak up.

‘Might I suggest we capture the two monsters?’ Lio’s eyes enlarged, and so did Rion’s, but his wasn’t as drastic. Rhodes continued, ‘It had occurred to me that Astera had no records or knowledge about Nargacuga or Yian Garuga living in the Ancient Forest. As such, I would think that scholars might want to study them and learn as much as we can from these creatures. Since we need them gone to study Zorah, and we are not confident of fighting them head-to-head yet because of our limited knowledge, I think this is a very good middle ground.’ Deimos asked very quickly after this suggestion was put forth.

‘And what happens to them after we are done studying them?’ Rhodes gave him a gentle smile before explaining.

‘Well, I believe the commander will not need these two bases forever. I mean the whole point of establishing these campsites is to study Zorah Magdaros. Might I suggest that once Zorah has moved from this area, and we are done studying the creatures, we release them back into their homes.’ Rion looked at Lio with a light-hearted expression on his face, before turning to the table and addressing Rhodes’ suggestion.

‘Very good young lady, your suggestion actually sounds enticing to me. And yes, you have my word that the creatures will be released once it is safe to do so. We are not in the habit of keeping beasts captive within Astera. Now the only question that remains is whether I leave this strenuous task to just the five of you, or do I assign it to other groups. Thoughts?’ Deimos spoke up.

‘Sir, I feel like regardless the decision, I should be the one to face Nargucuga. As it stands, I have the most experience facing the creature.’ Rion nodded in agreement. He then turned to his son to ask for his opinion.

‘So do you think you guys can handle both Nargacuga and Yian Garuga?’ While Lio was hesitant to say yes, he was also afraid of leaving such a dangerous beast to another hunting party who would be equally as terrified and clueless as they were. So Lio made a decision and told his father that they would lead the capture for both creatures. Rion smiled at him, placing his left hand on his son’s right shoulder. He now turned back to the table, and told the squad.

‘I am grateful for having such reliable people by my side. Whatever you need for the hunt, please let me know, and I’ll be sure to get them prepared for you. So how much time do you guys need to prepare for this operation?’ Rion looked over mainly to Deimos, worried about his injuries.

‘I’ll be up and ready to hunt tomorrow Sir.’ Deimos said confidently.

‘Take the whole of tomorrow off. You guys will start the operation the day after. Thank you for sharing all of this information with me. Go and get some rest, you’ve earned it.’ Rion dismissed the table, and was now turned to Lio.

‘This bunch seems very reliable.’ Rion remarked.

‘They are Dad. Each and every one of them can hold their own weight, and they never leave anyone behind. Even Rhodes, a handler, were it not for her valuable knowledge about the wild, some of us might not have made it back. She’s amazing, all of them are.’ Rion smiled, seeing how genuine his son was when talking about them. Lio continued, remembering what he said to Deimos when he first arrived. 

‘Listen Dad, do you think they can...’ Rion interrupted.

‘Climb the ranks and join us up here? Well that was what I was really trying to ask you initially. How much do you trust them?’ Lio answered confidently.

‘With my life’

‘Then it’s settled. Order the four of them to move up to level 3 with us and occupy the four vacant tents here. They’ve earned it.’ Lio was elated when he heard his father say this. He was glad that he could finally feel like a part of a team again, and being in closer proximity to the squad meant that he could spend more time with Deimos too. His mind was starting to wonder before his father snapped him back to reality.

‘Might I suggest they move tomorrow morning. It’s been a long day for them, and they should rest.’ Lio nodded, as he exited the commander’s tent. It was nearly sunset, and Lio wanted to treat the squad to a nice dinner, they’ve earned it. So he ordered a feast with a large variety of food, and ordered five pints of Astera beer.

‘Fooooood.... FOOOOD... Glorious FOOOO-...’ Rhen was drooling all over the large amounts of food present on the table that Rhodes had to push her face away to prevent her saliva from contaminating their dinner.

‘You’re disgusting, you know that?’

‘I’m also sexy, but you already KNEW THAT!’ Rhen started laughing at her own joke, while Rhodes rolled her eyes, with a smirk appearing on her face not long after. Lio extended his arm with beer in hand offering a toast. Everyone raised their mugs and collided in the middle of the table.

‘Great expedition! Really glad to have met such an awesome bunch like you guys.’ Lio was a little lost for words, because what he said pretty much encapsulated what his heart wanted to express. Eros spared him from this awkward moment by saying.

‘And we’re lucky to have such an awesome addition to the team!’ Lio’s eyes were a little watery when he heard this, putting his arm around Eros. All of them took a mouthful of this bitter, dry beer. Unlike the amber ale, this beer is made from the stomach fluids of the Diablos. Being vegetarians, the Diablos’ stomach fluids are not as acidic as normal creatures, since their diet only consists of cacti. The dry taste of the desert air could be tasted in the beer, as if translated through both the cactus and the Diablos’ natural habitat of the Wildspire Wastes. The beer had an initial, though lighter, bitter taste, which then leaves the mouth dry, with no apparent aftertaste. This created a very simple yet refreshing experience in the mouth.

Lio decided not the break the good news to the squad just yet, and wanted to surprise them early the next morning. As they finished their meal, everyone decided to leave in pairs, with Eros and Phobos leaving first, followed by Rhen and Rhodes. Lio took this opportunity to snatch Deimos alone.

‘So how are you feeling? Better I hope?’

‘Ohh yeah, the medical centre people really know what they’re doing. I feel much better already.’ Lio was glad to hear this. He stood up and walked over to Deimos as he sat beside him, holding his hand now.

‘I uhh...’ Lio was struggling to speak due to nervousness.

Deimos looked at him, confused. Lio was never like this, it surprised Deimos to see him like this.

‘Yes? You...?’ Deimos trying to help Lio continue.

‘I’ve been thinking about us, and I think I’m ready.’ Deimos’ eyes lit up brighter than the moon in the night sky when he heard this. An involuntary smile appearing on his face as he grabbed Lio’s hand, squeezing it tightly. Lio continued speaking.

‘Seeing you out there during the expedition, I don’t know. You’re such an interesting person, and a selfless one too. And I know you value freedom above all else, much like me, so I was thinking that maybe we could give it a shot. Of course, provided you’re still interested?’ Deimos was elated and replied quickly.

‘Of course I’m still interested!’ Lio broke into a smile as the two hugged in the middle of the canteen, embracing each other for as long as they could. Deimos was in heaven that night, he felt like he was in a dream. It was ecstatic just thinking about it; Lio and him. The stroll back to his bunk was light-footed and happy as he took in the cool night breeze. He entered his bunk to see an already knocked out Eros and a snoring Phobos. It wasn’t that late, but he wasn’t surprised with how exhausted the squad was after the whole expedition. He was exhausted too. He contemplated about taking a shower, but decided against it since he didn’t want to walk all the way to the bath area, so he decided to just wash up at the toilet basin before going to bed. Deimos was seated by his bed about to leave for the toilet when he looked up at Eros, deep in his sleep. The memory of the sex they had on his bed made his heart pump faster and harder. That feeling, was something he sorely missed. Ever since that day, ever since Eros, Deimos had been increasingly distracted by his member. It was as if something woke it up, and its old gears are finally set into motion. Deimos felt good, because it added drive, passion and desire to his life, but sometimes he felt like it could get in the way. The amount of pent up sexual energy would constantly scream for release at the slightest sense of eroticism. Of course that scream has always been there, it’s just that now it had become much louder and harder to ignore.

Deimos got up and entered the toilet, locking the door and undressing himself. He took a towel and wet it in the basin as he began wiping his naked body, starting from his neck, and going downward. The towel coursed through his toned, tanned body from his chest all the way down to his groin. The moment the cool wet towel as much as touched his penis, it twitched, sending a chill up his spine. Deimos looked down and saw it starting to extend involuntarily. He placed the towel down, and looked at himself in the mirror, staring at his erected member’s reflection. His mind was now filled with erotic thoughts, waves of sexual energy coming in that were much harder to resist now that he was alone and naked. He gave up fighting it as he grabbed his shaft with his right hand, beginning to stroke it. He started slow, the first back and forth motion of his hand sending a very strong wave of pleasure upward from his groin. After awhile, the sensation was beginning to dwindle, so he picked up the pace, increasing the speed of his strokes. The sensation now came back, as he started to feel the head of his penis secrete a viscous, transparent fluid. He looked down now as he used his right thumb to gently glaze the pre-cum all over the head before continuing to stroke it. The lubricant was reducing the amount of friction the member felt from his hand, allowing for more vigorous strokes. Deimos’ increased heartbeat, and audible panting was turning him on as he began moaning softly to himself, closing his eyes. He pictured the sex with Eros, he pictured Lio, he imagined their mouths where his right hand was, tricking his mind that the sensation it was feeling was not born from his own hand, but from a handsome man’s moist mouth. This thought drove him insane, so he lifted his left hand toward his right nipple, beginning to tease it. He felt the plateau of his nipple, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He then ran his index finger around the nipple, feeling the little bumps around it, causing the nipple to erect. He now groped his whole right chest, and squeezed it hard as he straightened his back, and push his pelvis forward. The sudden sensation of a cold surface pressing on the head of his penis was enough to break him out of this fantasy. He opened his eyes to see that his penis had hit the cold ceramic basin, irritated by the sensation. He was about to continue, when he noticed that exposed unused pipe he asked Lio about. A wild thought entered his mind, and his sexual frustration forced him to throw all logic away as his member throbbed at the exciting new idea to pleasure himself. He hesitantly inserted his penis into the pipe, and began thrusting.

He was afraid of hurting his shaft, but after a few thrusts, his pre-cum drenched penis was lubricated well enough for the pipe to serve as a make shift anus for him to be pleasured. Deimos now felt a new kind of thrill, this new method of pleasuring himself sent a very erotic and strange feeling to his brain, but he didn’t care, he would take any form of pleasure at this point. He continued his thrusting, going deeper the pipe after each thrust, feeling the waves of pleasure beginning to re-enter his body. With this, he continued teasing his nipple and closed his eyes to resume his fantasising. As he was getting close to his climax, he found his now freed up right hand, reaching toward his back and down to his cheeks, squeezing one of them. He remembered the slap Lio gave him, and it turned him on even more. The urge to release was getting stronger now, that his right hand was beginning to reach between his cheeks and now on his anus.

‘I wonder how it feels like...’ Deimos whispered to himself as he recalled fucking Eros in his butt. He lifted his right leg and stepped on the toilet bowl that was beside the sink, opening up his anus, welcoming the explorative exercise. He then reached back and stuck his right index and middle finger, which was still drenched in pre-cum, into his anus, drawing circles as Eros did. With each circle he drew, he attempted to advance deeper, slowly and carefully. It was a little uncomfortable initially, but with each circle, the pain slowly translated into pleasure. It was a very strange mix, and Deimos wasn’t sure whether he was really enjoying it. But being this close to his climax, he couldn’t think, as his fingers had a mind on their own, continuing deeper, and deeper, until he let out a final moan signalling his climax. He took a few steps back until he felt the wall press on his back as he grabbed his dick with his right hand again, pulling the foreskin back. White streams of semen spewed out from his head and unto his tanned, sweaty body, his right hand continuing to milk his shaft dry. His body was now covered in white fluid as he sat himself down on the toilet floor panting and exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied. He looked at his right hand and body now covered in his own seed, curious to know if it really was as sweet as Eros mentioned. Instead of using one finger, he used his whole palm to scoop as much semen as he could with his left hand starting from his abs all the way up to his chest. He stared at the white liquid, and licked it thoroughly off his hands and swallowed it.

‘Hmm... Quite sweet.’ He mumbled to himself as he looked down at the embarrassing wet and sticky mess on his body. He let out a soft chuckle before cleaning himself up and going to bed.


	13. From the Ashes

Deimos rested the arrow on his left fist, which was held tightly on the grip of the bow. He pulled the string back with his right hand that was holding onto the nock of the arrow until it was next to his right cheek and aligned with his right eye. He closed his left eye to focus his aim on an old tree stump, before releasing the arrow. The projectile flew quickly and straight, piercing the stump through to its centre, lodging itself into the wooden core. The bow was a temperamental weapon, an agile yet dangerous tool with no defensive capabilities whatsoever, and only the foolhardiest of hunters would dare give this weapon a second look. From the mere characteristic of the weapon, we start to appreciate why Deimos took an interest for it. The bow’s magical property lay in both the bow and the arrows. The magic in the bow allowed hunters to pull the string more than humanly possible, which gave its projectiles much more effective piercing capabilities, necessary if hunters wanted to deal any significant damage to the thick hided monsters of the New World. Furthermore, as the hunters fired arrows in rapid succession, the bow will store its kinetic energy, making each consecutive shot stronger than its previous one. The magic in the arrows involve a mechanism that causes arrows to split if it was fired off with sufficient force, complementing well with the bow. This made the bow extremely deadly in the right hands, and forces its wielder to maintain focus as well as a great deal of self-discipline.

It was rare for hunters to master multiple weapons, more so weapons of different nature; charge blades are defensive and slow, while bows are quick and agile. Deimos continued firing arrows, getting quicker and stronger after each shot. He felt the string loosen after every shot, allowing him to pull back more with each subsequent arrow. Eventually, the stump was covered in arrows and Deimos was left panting. He took a minute to catch his breath while pulling out the arrows from the stump before returning to his original position, starting his firing routine again.

‘You know you’re supposed to be resting’, Lio walked up from behind Deimos, seeing his now sweating back. Deimos didn’t respond because he was in the middle of firing his shots. Lio went over to the side, and sat at a rocky elevation, observing Deimos. With each arrow he pulled, Lio noticed his arm flexing and contracting before a very brief moment of relaxation, and then firming up once again. All of this happening on his strong tan arms really made Lio admire Deimos’ physique. He had a nice view, so he took his time to enjoy it. Once Deimos was done, he was once again left panting as he turned to face Lio now, a smile forming on his face.

‘Hey, morning. Well I wasn’t tired, so I figured I should do something useful.’

‘Firing arrows at a wooden stump is considered useful?’ Deimos frowned in disagreement and replied.

‘Do you have a better idea then?’

Lio stood up and said. ‘Actually...’ Lio was now walking towards Deimos, with a suggestive look on his face. ‘I was thinking that you and I...’ he now had his hands wrapped around Deimos’ waist and rested his chin on Deimos’ right shoulder, leaning in closely such that their cheeks touched. ‘Could spend some time together...’ Lio didn’t move, and just looked at Deimos from the corner of his left eye. Deimos was a little awkward as he stared back at Lio from the corner of his right eye, unsure of how to answer. Deimos cleared his throat and Lio felt the vibration through his chin, still waiting for an answer. Deimos broke the awkward silence by asking,

‘Yeah... Umm... Sure, what do you have in mind?’ For some odd reason, Deimos was hoping Lio didn’t mean sex because he just unloaded yesterday and didn’t want to disappoint. Lio broke out into a soft chuckle, releasing his right hand from Deimos’ hip and used it to pinch his right cheek gently.

‘You’re so cute when you’re nervous.’ Lio now released his grip on Deimos entirely, and rested his left arm over Deimos’ shoulders before continuing. ‘Well I was thinking we could do some working out, if you’re up for it, of course. Then the rest is a secret, I’ve got the whole day planned out. What do you say?’ Lio had the cheeky smile across his face once again. Deimos was anxious to find out what Lio had planned, so he naively agreed and gave Lio the rest of his day.

‘Great! Let’s just start with our workout here then.’ Lio then asked Deimos what his normal workout routine consisted of.

‘Ohh uhh, I usually just run and do some static exercises. Nothing too fancy.’ Lio looked around at the small size of the training area, unconvinced that they could do any meaningful cardio exercises here.

‘Well there’s no space to run here...’ Deimos then suggested.

‘We can do burpees for cardio? Then I usually use a bar for my pull-ups and leg raises and that’s about it.’ Lio liked it, simple and easy to remember. So Lio grabbed Deimos’ right forearm, dragging him toward the middle of the training area.

‘Alright, let’s begin then!’ Lio exclaimed as he went down to a push-up position, Deimos following shortly after, facing Lio. The two went down with their hands shoulder-width apart and started with a push-up, allowing their bodies to drop while maintaining a straight posture. Just before their chests touched the ground, they pushed back up till their elbows locked and their arms straightened. They kicked their feet off and retracted them so that they were now in line with their hands and their knees pressed against their chest, in a squatting position. The two now leapt in the air in sync, raising their knees to their chest once again before falling down to their squatting position, and kicking their legs back to reset to their original push-up position to continue the next rep. The gentlemen continued to do about twenty reps of burpees, consciously trying to maintain proper form as they felt their muscles ache and their chests tightening. Once they completed their final rep, the two fell flat onto the ground, panting.

‘Whoo... That was... Tiring...’ Lio trying to put a sentence together while his lungs demanded for more oxygen. Deimos didn’t say anything but nodded while he too lay there panting. Deimos got up shortly after and sat down on the floor, seeing Lio still exhausted on the floor.

‘Alright, pull-ups next.’ Lio looked up at him, surprised at how quick he was already walking toward a thick and sturdy branch jutting out to serve as a makeshift bar. Lio mustered his strength to go over to join Deimos. The both of them faced different directions and were hanging side-by-side, with both of their palms facing away from them as they gripped the branch, straightening their arms and locking their core. Deimos turned to Lio and said.

‘Do your max.’ With that, they started pulling. The strong youths pulled their own massive bodies vertically up with ease, lifting their chins above the wooden bar before lowering themselves slowly, resisting gravity. They felt the pull across their backs, the tightness of their core muscles to prevent their legs from swaying, and the burn in their forearms holding the full weight of their muscular frames. They straightened their arms and locked their elbows before continuing their next pull. Lio pulled much faster than Deimos, completing his fifth pull-up when Deimos just finished his third. The two continued to pull until Lio reached his twentieth pull and started to slow down. He completed another ten to a total of thirty before he fell to the ground. Deimos kept a very consistent pace, hardly slowly down even after he crossed twenty. He was pulling and stopped at thirty three before dropping down. Lio, now panting even more, turned to Deimos and said.

‘Show off...’ Deimos smiled as he reached over to grab Lio’s pulsing bicep and gave it a tight squeeze.

‘A..hh...!’ Lio gave a weak groan, and turned to Deimos punching his left shoulder.

‘Oww! Not so hard dude!’ Deimos was now rubbing his sore left arm. The two exchanged friendly smiles before Deimos broke out of it and jumping back onto the branch, facing the same direction. Lio followed soon after.

‘Remember to keep your back straight.’ Deimos added, before he began his leg raises. This time, their palms faced them, and keeping their bodies straight, they lifted their straightened legs up until they were parallel to the ground, careful not to go too high and bend their backs. The drop was controlled and slow, ensuring their muscles remained tensed. Throughout the exercise, they felt their forearms continuing to burn as it continued to support the full weight of their bodies. The moment they felt their form loosening, they stopped and dropped to the ground. Lio was once again panting, and looked towards Deimos about to ask him what was next when whatever little breath he had left was stolen. He saw Deimos’ whole body soaking wet in sweat and his muscles pulsating. His chests were bulging and pulsing in tune with his heavy heartbeat, while his rock hard abs now became very distinct, together with his large arms which had veins popping out. This tanned spectacle was very distracting for Lio. Concurrently, Deimos was equally distracted by Lio’s sweat-drenched body as well. His large torso was pulsing slower but heavier than Deimos, and his fair skin creating good contrast with his dark brown nipples sitting comfortably on his bulging chest. Lio’s abs were also rock hard and defined after the leg raises, and being fair made the sweat trickling down his entire body more obvious. His arms also had veins popping out, though less so than Deimos. The two masterpieces were left standing there, staring at each other’s assets. Lio broke out of the trance first, and asked Deimos.

‘So what’s next?’ feeling flattered at how much he was distracting his partner. Deimos still recovering from his daze responded.

‘Ohh, uhh... That’s it. We repeat this set four times.’

‘FOUR?! Ohh God...’ Lio rolled his eyes as he went back down to the push-up position to begin his next set of burpees. The two finished their remaining three sets and were now thoroughly exhausted, lying on top of each other. Lio was lying on his back on the floor, and Deimos rested the back of his head on Lio’s core, the two of them panting heavily.

‘You... really... know how to... work... the body...’ Lio struggling to find energy to speak at this point, especially with the added weight now resting on his abdomen. Deimos didn’t even respond with words, he just nodded while facing the sky, hoping Lio saw or felt his reply. Lio now reached down and placed his left hand over Deimos’ face.

‘...Mrrgghhh...!’ Deimos couldn’t speak with this large sweaty hand over his entire face.

‘What’s that?’ Lio mocking him.

‘...MRRGGHHH...! Stop! That’s gross!’ Deimos pushed his hand away, now spitting out some of the salty sweat that went into his mouth. Lio burst out laughing and said.

‘Ohh you think that’s gross?’ He used his right palm to scoop up as much sweat as he could from his abs up to his chest, before smearing it across Deimos’ cheek.

‘Dude!’ Deimos got up now and pounced over Lio, grabbing his arms by the wrist, and pushing them down so that he couldn’t wipe anymore sweat on him. Deimos was now sitting on top of Lio’s abs, with his hands on either side of Lio’s face and their eyes looking straight into each other.

‘The view from down here is quite nice.’ Lio smirked as he said this softly. Memory of a similar incident flooded Deimos’ mind that he let go of Lio’s arms and sat up straight, still on top of Lio. Lio then calmly placed his left hand behind his head, supporting it, while his right hand rested on Deimos’ left hip, gripping it firmly.

‘I mean it. You look amazing.’ Deimos smiled at him and returned the compliment.

‘Well, I wish you could see yourself. The view from up here is quite something too.’

Lio smiled at Deimos as his curiosity got the better of him, leading to him asking abruptly.

‘So are you a top or a bottom?’ Deimos was confused with the question. He had heard those terms before but never really knew what they meant. So recalling the only experience he ever had, he responded ignorantly.

‘Bottom, I think...’ Lio laughed as he scanned Deimos from his head down to his waist as he replied.

‘Well you don’t look like it, but good to know!’ He maintained his smile and the two stayed in this position for a while longer before they got up and left the training area. Lio brought Deimos back to his tent, and they took turns washing up in his private toilet over the basin. Lio gave Deimos a spare towel and told him to use it for the time being.

‘You know I could always go back to my bunk and clean up before we carry on with your... Itinerary. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.’ Deimos commented while washing up.

‘I wanna spend as much time as I can with you today, since I so rarely get the chance to. So any second I have, I’ll take it.’ Lio said this to hide his true intention. Deimos came out all cleaned and sat next to Lio asking him.

‘So, what’s next?’ Lio smiled at him and said.

‘Come with me.’ The two now made their way toward the smithy. Lio explained to Deimos that weapons and armour could be upgraded using materials gathered from monsters. This allows the transference of the monster’s adaptive capabilities to the weapon, giving them unique abilities.

‘Hey Phil! Mind helping my buddy out with improving his gear?’ Lio shouted as he walked closer to the chief smithy sitting in front of the forge.

‘Well that depends on what he’s buying me for lunch.’ Phil joked with a straight face, now staring at Deimos. Deimos was a little shocked and unsure of how to respond, so he just started making weird noises.

‘Uhh... umm...’ Lio rescued him saying.

‘Five pints of wyvern amber ale, that’s what you’ll be having for lunch if you help him out.’ Phil gave a loud laughter in response.

‘HAHAHAHA! Let’s get to work then! Show me what you’ve got!’ Phil now had his hand outstretched awaiting Deimos’ boon. He reached into his pocket and took out the shattered Diablos’ horn and the Nargacuga’s chipped claw, handing them over to Phil.

‘Blimey! Very good materials these are. Where in the world did you...’ Lio interrupted, as if knowing what was on Phil’s mind.

‘We found one in the Ancient Forest, all of us were as surprised as you are now. And our buddy here, singlehandedly took it out.’ Lio had his right arm around Deimos’ shoulders as he said this.

‘Well if you beat a Nargacuga on your own, then I doubt you’ll need any upgrading. Testimony to your skills, son! Let me whip up something for you.’ Deimos handed Phil his charge blade and he immediately got to work. Phil crushed the shattered horns into a fine powder and did the same to the Nargacuga claw separately and heated them both. He now heated both Deimos’ blade and shield, causing them to soften. He took the heated Diablos’ horn fluid and poured it over the shield, while pouring the Nargacuga’s claw fluid over his blade. Then he cooled both weapons in water, causing a large cloud of steam to emerge.

‘There you go!’ Deimos could see his shield glistening a little golden while his blade was a darker shade of silver now. But more importantly, he was interested in what unique properties the materials added to his weapons.

‘So what did those materials do to my weapons?’

‘The Diablos’ horn is thick and tough. It is famous for knocking its foes off in a single blow for self-defence. As such, the shattered horns you provided me gave your shield more knockout potential. It is more durable against direct hits, and its reflecting capabilities have been enhanced.’

‘That’s nice. And what about the blade?’

‘Well my boy, Nargacuga’s are very efficient predators, and they make it a point to always keep their claws and fangs sharp. Similarly, the Nargacuga’s claws has toughened the metal in your blade, causing it to maintain its sharpness for longer periods of time. Furthermore, it can now pierce thicker hides more easily.’ Deimos was happy with these upgrades. They were simple, and very useful. Deimos couldn’t help but ask.

‘And what do you think you will be able to do with Yian Garuga materials?’ Lio looked over to Deimos, shooting him a cautious stare.

‘I’ve never really dealt with Yian Garuga materials before, but I’m pretty sure I will be able to do quite a fair bit with that crazy bird’s parts. Why do you ask?’ Deimos broke out of his curiosity and back to his secretive self as he responded.

‘Ohh nothing, just curious. Thanks anyway.’ Phil nodded at him and looked towards Lio.

‘I’ll be here waiting for my five pints!’ Lio rolled his eyes.

‘Yeah, yeah. Thanks again Phil!’

Deimos was about to walk out when Lio grabbed his right arm and said.

‘Come this way, I wanna show you something.’ He brought Deimos toward a stairs going up and round the forge. Behind it, there was a small opening, leading to the back, revealing a gentle slope.

‘Where are you taking me?’ Deimos asked. Lio placed his right index finger over Deimos’ lips, as he continued dragging him up the slope. Deimos looked back and saw the gorgeous view of Astera behind them. He wanted to get Lio’s attention, but Lio beat him to it as he turned Deimos’ head around to the front, to show him an even better view. They were now at a watch tower, greeted with a view of the ocean and part of the Ancient Forest. It was magnificent, coupled with the cool sea breeze blowing against Deimos’ face, it was euphoric.

‘I thought you’d like it here. Few people actually know it exists.’ Lio was taking in the view while he said this. Deimos was so in heaven that he instinctively grabbed Lio’s right arm, hugging it tightly. Lio was a little surprised, but he allowed Deimos the pleasure. Lio then felt a sharp pain in his chest, holding onto Deimos’ right hand that was coiled round his bicep. He released it from its grip and held onto it as he faced Deimos and said.

‘So remember that night at the bath when you asked about my most recent relationship? Well I think I’m ready to share if you’re still interested in hearing the story.’ Deimos now turned his body to face Lio, his face turning serious.

‘Yeah of course I’m still interested, but only if you’re comfortable talking about it.’

‘Well yeah, I think it’ll get in the way if I don’t talk about it, and it wouldn’t be fair for you. So...’ Lio sat Deimos down at the watch tower, and the two of them facing each other while they had this conversation.

‘So 2 years back, I met this brilliant guy who came with me on the Fourth fleet but we were from different platoons, so I didn’t know him well. Fate brought us together as my Dad formed different hunting groups and chose to bring together the best hunters from the different platoons to form up an elite squad. And there were five of us, just like what we have now.’ Lio stopped for awhile, having difficulty repeating the story.

‘We were tight, the five of us. We trained together, did everything together. The first Anjanath hunt that I shared with you, was with this group as well. We were so in sync, and everything we did was seamless, we felt like nothing could stop us. Then one day...’ Lio’s voice was beginning to crack a little. ‘We were tasked with taking on a Diablos in the Wastes. Quite a challenge, even for experienced hunters like us. We were controlling the situation relatively well until... Well, until Nergigante arrived.’ Deimos was shocked, he had never heard of anyone facing a live Nergigante before. These Elder Dragons are ferocious and extremely formidable, fighting them was always a last resort. Deimos crept over to Lio and held his hand, seeing that he was in pain telling this story.

‘My team had a choice, to abandon the mission and risk the lives of the research team, or complete the mission, risking our own lives. Well, my fucking ex-partner had a third option and chose it without saying a word.’ Lio eyes were now watery and red, he stopped his story to let the tears flow, holding onto Deimos’ hand as he did so.

‘He told us to continue with the mission while he confronted the Nergigante alone. We managed to capture and restrain the Diablos, but by the time we got to him, he was... He was...’ Deimos now reached his arms round Lio and embraced him, saying to him.

‘It’s alright, take your time.’ Lio was sobbing now, and he felt his chest tighten even more as he recalled this painful memory. He looked up after a few minutes, looking at Deimos as he continued.

‘That’s why I never allow anyone under my care to split up. I don’t know if I can bear the torment all over again.’ Deimos then asked.

‘So then what happened to the rest of the squad?’

‘Well they’re still here, each one of us heading one of the four regions of hunters. I, of course, have you guys on top of the Ancient Forest that I’m in-charge of.’ Lio let out a soft chuckle in the midst of his sobbing. Deimos could feel Lio’s anguish, as he remembered the burning in his chest the day his mother died.

‘So then how did you pick yourself up after that?’

‘I grieved for a long while. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I was miserable, I just wanted things to end there and then.’ Deimos nodded in empathy, he knew what it was like.

‘But then I saw the people around me, those who still cared and still loved me. My father, my friends, the life I still had here in Astera, I wasn’t prepared to throw all of it away. And I realised that while it was painful to move on, it was what made the painful experience truly meaningful. Being able to pick yourself up after an ordeal like that changes you as a person. And while nobody expects that of you, it is a very personal choice, one that I chose.’ Lio now turned to Deimos, with his face lighting up as he placed his left hand on Deimos’ right cheek.

‘And thank god I made that choice, if not I would never have met you.’ Deimos’ eyes were now tearing. He got it, he finally got it. After all these years of searching, he found the answer he was looking for. His mother’s death would be in vain if he threw his own life away. It was never just about accepting the fact she was gone, but it was about making the most of it and seeing her in everything that he did. And it really warmed Deimos’ heart that he could be that someone for Lio, to help him see that his past happened for a reason. The two closed in for another hug as they squeezed each other tightly, feeling their chests pressed against the other and focusing on their hearts now beating in unison. Both of them wiped away their tears, and looked back at the horizon, the sun now beginning to set. Their stomachs growling, as they both looked at each other and laughed, getting up to head over to the canteen to sate their appetite.

‘Now you guys heard of the Elder Dragon Vaal Hazak right?’ Rhen was speaking to Eros and Rhodes while they were seated in the canteen in a very serious tone. The two nodded as she threw the question.

‘Well here’s the deal. That vicious thing of a monster is king of the undead and some zombie lizard.’ Rhodes couldn’t resist correcting her.

‘Uhh... He’s actually...’

‘Baabaaabupp... I’m telling the story her missy, you wait your turn.’ Rhen now had her finger over Rhodes’ mouth as she continued.

‘I heard that there was this other variant called Blackveil Vaal Hazak that had... that had... *BRRRRLLLPPPP*’ Rhen faked a vomit as she refused to finish her sentence. Rhodes rolled her eyes and Eros was left disappointed.

‘Had what? Hey! Finish your sentence!’ Eros said as he pouted at his seat.

‘MUSHROOMS!!!’ Rhen shouted.

‘Nonsense, there are no records of any mushrooms growing on any Elder Dragon like that. Don’t listen to her Eros, this Blackveil nonsense is just a myth, a bedtime story...’ Rhen’s eyes enlarged as she heard that.

‘Exactly! Why do you think I’m so terrified of mushrooms?! My mother told me about this monster every night before I went to bed, and said if I don’t brush my teeth, mushrooms will start growing in my mouth. AHHHHH!’ Rhen stood up and started running around in circles. The other hunters in the canteen were staring and even the paliceos were shooting her judgemental looks. Rhodes got up and dragged her back down to her seat.

‘With a brain as dirty as yours, it’s a wonder no mushrooms are growing in there.’ Rhodes joked. Rhen was now grabbing her hair with both her arms, Rhodes now realising her mistake. Rhen stood up and ran up the stairs beside the entrance of the canteen, Eros and Rhodes chasing after her.

‘Hey! Where are you guys rushing off to?’ Lio said, as the two gentlemen bumped into a running Eros and Rhodes.

‘Ohh, I kinda told Rhen that her brain had mushrooms so she ran off. I think she’ll be fine, I’ll just talk to her in her room. See you guys later!’ Lio nodded as the two of them rushed up the stairs. Deimos was a little puzzled as he swore he heard Rhodes said ‘her room’ but ran up the stairs, so he turned to Lio and asked.

‘Why did Rhod-...’ Lio covered Deimos’ mouth with his hand and smiled at him overriding his question.

‘So what would you like for dinner?’ Deimos frowned at Lio, disapproving with him avoiding the question. But he just concluded that he misheard and brushed it off. The two had a filling dinner with a pint of ale before deciding to call it a day.

‘Alright, I think I’m gonna go back and rest. See yo-...’ Lio grabbed Deimos’ arm and pulled him closer to him as he said to him softly.

‘Not so fast tiger, I have one more surprise for you. Come with me.’ Lio dragged Deimos as he brought him up to his private tent. Deimos could’ve sworn they entered the wrong tent, as Lio dragged Deimos into a tent that was beside his own. Deimos brushed it off as just him being confused with the order of the tents as he went along with it. As the two of them entered, Deimos saw candles lit around the room, and a long wooden table at the back of the tent that had a soft thin mattress over it and a white cloth draped over. Deimos was legitimately confused as he looked over to Lio and asked.

‘Umm... What exactly is this?’

‘Well, I figured since you enjoyed my mini-massage I gave you at the bath, I should give you a proper full body one now. What better way to relax and rest right? Leave the work to me.’

‘What? I never said I enjoyed that!’ Lio perked his eyebrows and smiled at Deimos.

‘Your body seemed to disagree.’ Somehow, in Deimos’ mind, a massage was as tense as sex. He loved how relaxed it felt but hated how erotic it was to him at the same time. He was in a serious dilemma. Lio could sense his hesitation and reassured him.

‘It’s alright you know, if you don’t want it. I was just thinkin-...’

‘No, yes, let’s do it.’ Deimos replied quickly, knowing he might regret turning this offer down. Lio’s face lightened up, as he took a towel and disappeared into the toilet. Deimos wasn’t sure what he should do while waiting, so he just began walking around and inspecting Lio’s room. Then a muffled shout emerged from the toilet.

‘Close the tent, and take off your clothes!’ Deimos’ pupils shrunk as he heard those words, quickly getting the easier of the two tasks out of the way, he released the knots holding the tent flaps up. He then looked at his clothes, and removed them slowly. He saw a towel by the wooden table side, so he took it and wrapped it round his waist, standing by the side waiting for Lio. Lio came out of the toilet soon after, with a towel round his waist too. He went over to Deimos and grabbed his waist towel.

‘Tsk, take it off, don’t be shy.’ Deimos was resisting the towel, his face insisting that it stayed on. Lio raised his eyebrow and smirked at him saying.

‘You do remember I’ve seen you naked before right? Don’t worry, trust me, it feels better without it.’ Deimos sighed as he loosened his grip, allowing the towel to be undone. Lio guided him over to the table, and lay him down on his front, with his face down. The mattress and the table had a hole to allow for the face to breathe, so Deimos was comfortable as he lay this way. Lio now crept below the table so that he was looking at Deimos from under the table as he said.

‘Do me a favour and try to relax this time’.


	14. Rising Tide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Deimos was so torn, trying hard to relax as Lio requested, but trying even harder to control his reproductive organ from getting too riled up. Even though Lio had seen it fully erect and not paid it any heed, Deimos still felt extremely embarrassed by it. Lio went over to the side as he picked up a small bottle of oil together with a small piece of cloth, placing it over Deimos’ exposed rear, before coating both his hands with oil. Lio then began, starting from Deimos’ legs. He used his left hand to hold onto Deimos’ right calf, squeezing it lightly as he went up to his kneecap, before going all the way down to his ankles. Lio’s right hand was stationed higher up Deimos’ leg and on his thigh, performing a similar motion squeezing gently moving up to his hip before coming down to his kneecap. The physical contact near his groin started to make Deimos sweat a little, still forcing himself to relax. Lio now shifted his attention to Deimos’ right feet, pressing various areas of the sole. Lio’s presses were very controlled, and sent tingling signals all the way up Deimos’ spine. Each push with his thumb caused an involuntary jerk in one of his upper body muscles, causing them to relax. Lio did the same thing for Deimos’ left leg, starting from the calf and ending with the feet. 

Lio now climbed on top of the table, resting his full body weight on his bent knees that were now placed between Deimos’ side and his straightened arms. Lio reapplied the oil on his hands, before placing both his hands on Deimos’ lower back; just above his buttocks. Lio pressed his body weight on it until he saw Deimos’ upper body jerked a bit, before moving up. Once he reached the halfway point, he circled outward, grabbing Deimos’ side; just below his shoulder blades and torso, and slid back down to his lower back, squeezing as he came down. Deimos could feel a rush of energy releasing, as his member began erecting. Motherfucker, he thought. The full weight of his body pressing against his hardened shaft was not only uncomfortable, but it was giving his body the wrong message that it should stay stiff. Lio repeated this motion before moving up to Deimos’ upper back, which was considerably more muscular and wide. Lio repositioned himself to now sit on Deimos’ lower back, as he pressed various parts of Deimos’ upper back with the base of his palm. With each push, he could feel Deimos let out a soft moan of pleasure signalling to Lio how much Deimos was enjoying it. Lio then moved up to his shoulders, wrapping his hands round with four fingers over it and the thumb at the back as he pushed forcefully with it. He pushed and slid it along the shoulder line; from Deimos’ arms to the base of his neck, then going further up to the bottom of his skull.

Lio got off from the table to reapply some more oil. The absence of his touch caused Deimos to wake up from his daze and consciously await the next area to be massaged. Lio transitioned now to his arms. He took his right arm and stretched it such that it was suspended in the air, Lio supporting its weight with one hand on his bicep and the other on his wrist. He pressed his bicep with his thumb, and slid down; similar to what he did with Deimos’ legs, all the way to his forearms. Lio’s thumb placing constant pressure as it slid down the muscular arm. He then placed his arm back, and walked round the table to do the same with Deimos’ left arm. Once Lio was done with the other arm, he let out a confident sigh.

‘Ok! We’re...’ Deimos perked his head up, with both his arms now bent in front supporting his head.

‘Done?’ Deimos asked eagerly.

‘No...’ Lio frowned at him with a slight smirk on his face. ‘Turn over’.

‘Excuse me?’ Deimos asked nervously.

‘Turn over! I’m not done yet.’ Lio insisted. Deimos was panicking now, he didn’t know what to expect. All this anticipation coupled with the potential embarrassment was killing him but he decided to just go with it and not worry too much. So he turned over slowly onto his back, now revealing his fully erected penis resting on his ripped, oily abs. Lio couldn’t have missed it, but he clearly ignored it as he placed the cloth that was used to cover the buttocks, to now cover the stiff rod. Lio turned to Deimos and winked before oiling his hands again. Deimos was a little confused but glad at the same time that Lio didn’t address it directly. Lio began once again at the leg, going through a rather similar routine, sliding his hand while grasping onto Deimos’ muscular calves and thigh muscles. When he reached the hip however, he now slid his hands uncomfortably close to Deimos’ penis, causing him to open his eyes and instinctively grab Lio’s hands, stopping them.

‘Re...lax...’ Lio slowly grabbed Deimos’ hands and placed them by his side before continuing. Lio was careful not to touch Deimos’ member, as he squeezed and pressed the area around the base of the shaft. It had a very different yet pleasurable sensation to it, so much so that Deimos let out a soft moan. Lio now slid his hands upward, wrapping around Deimos’ core, with his thumbs on his ripped abs, upward and stopping just before it reached his chest. His thumbs circulated outwards and around to his side, before sliding back down and repeating the motion. This caused Deimos’ abdomen to relax and contract in sync with each squeeze. Lio then decided to be a little playful as he repeated the same motion, but the outward circular motion of his thumb now brushing against Deimos’ nipples. This caused an involuntary moan from Deimos, quite a loud one. Lio laughed.

‘Very sensitive there I see.’ Lio said as he gave Deimos a suggestive look.

‘Shut up!’ Deimos replied, hitting Lio’s hand away from his chest. Lio now went round again and stood where Deimos’ head was, and rested his hands over his bulging chests. Lio groped them with his hands, being careful not to touch his nipples again, and press down with the base of his palm. He was now repeating this circular motion with his palm, around these large muscles, which helped relax it. His fingers went round Deimos’ chest to the side, where he pushed in to apply a bit of pressure. Deimos was now looking upward to an upside down view of a naked Lio. This scene was not helping with controlling his erection. The breaking point was when he saw a bulge forming in Lio’s wrapped towel, seeing that his member was hardening as well. Deimos then instinctively started raising his left hand, reaching toward the 7-inch shaft and attempting to release it from the restraints of the towel. Lio didn’t expect this, but noticed Deimos’ left arm moving, so he looked down and immediately grabbed his arm.

‘Hey now, slow down big guy.’ Lio said while looking down at Deimos with a gentle smile. Deimos was a little frustrated as he said.

‘Why? You want it too right? So let’s do it.’ Lio repositioned his left hand that was grabbing Deimos’ forearm to now hold his hand, interlocking their fingers. He squatted down and was face-to-face with Deimos’ as he said.

‘I want to save it for something special, is that alright?’ Deimos was still relatively new to all of this. When he saw an opportunity to take something he knew he wanted, he would just take it, not putting much thought into it. Lio, on the other hand, looked so controlled, so sure of what he wanted and was very disciplined. While Deimos struggled to understand and appreciate this point of view, he wanted to respect Lio’s wishes. Besides, saving the sex for another time would make things more interesting, and give Deimos something to look forward to. Lio now placed his right hand over Deimos’ cheek, still smiling at him.

‘I understand if you’re upset...’ Deimos turned over and knelt on the table top, Lio standing up now to match his height. Deimos wrapped his arms around Lio’s neck while Lio placed his hands on Deimos’ waist.

‘Look man, I’m not upset. It’s alright if you don’t wanna do it, but I just thought you...’ Lio placed his index finger over Deimos’ lips as he interrupted him.

‘I do want to do it, badly, but I’m making a conscious decision to resist it and save it for another time. And I hope that’s ok with you.’ Deimos returned the pleasant smile, and continued staring into Lio’s light grey eyes.

‘Can I at least get a kiss then?’ Deimos pleaded. Lio chuckled as he pulled Deimos in from his waist, colliding their lips against each other. Lio’s tongue was very adventurous, pushing through into Deimos’ mouth. Deimos opened up willingly, allowing the foreign object explore. Lio closed his mouth in a biting motion, and closed in on Deimos’ lower lip, giving it a soft nibble. The two then pressed their foreheads against each other, breathing in sync. The kiss was enough to raise their heartbeats as they basked in each other’s warmth. They were comfortable in this position, and so they stayed this way for as long as they could. Deimos reluctantly ended it by saying.

‘I should probably head back to my room, it’s getting late.’ Lio opened his eyes and continued smiling at Deimos, with his hands still gripped firmly around his waist. Deimos tried to escape from his grip but failed. His face slowly turned confused as he asked.

‘Umm... Did you hear me?’ Lio continued smiling as he responded.

‘Yeah, I heard you.’

‘Well then maybe let me go so I can leave your room?’ Lio burst out laughing.

‘My room? This isn’t my room!’ Deimos was now thoroughly confused. So he did notice that they entered the wrong tent, this wasn’t Lio’s tent. But then he started to wonder whose tent this was. The thought of them just having quite an intimate experience in somebody else’s room was beginning to scare Deimos. So he looked straight into Lio’s eyes quite seriously and asked him.

‘Quit fucking around Lio, whose room is this?’ Lio didn’t break his smile as he placed his hands on Deimos’ cheeks saying.

‘It’s yours, my dear.’ Deimos’ eyes widened and looked around. Now noticing that someone did bring in his stuff but hid it behind his bed so that he couldn’t see it from the entrance. The bed had new sheets as well, slightly different from those he saw in Lio’s room, a small detail that he was not ashamed of missing out. Deimos was still slightly shocked at the news, his mind struggling to make sense of things.

‘But... I don’t understand... Why? How?’ Deimos’ eyes were filled with both shock and joy. Lio, with his hands still on Deimos’ cheeks replied.

‘Well, I spoke to my Dad, as promised, and he felt that you guys deserved a more luxurious place that was closer to us, since the squad has clearly proven their worth and skill.’ Deimos now perked an eyebrow and asked.

‘And you had nothing to do with it?’ Lio now placed his right behind his head, scratching it.

‘Well... I may have put in a few words for you guys...? Ohh but com’on, you guys earn-...’ Lio’s mouth suddenly became preoccupied with something else as he felt Deimos’ lips come in contact with his again. Lio stopped resisting as he shut his eyes to enjoy the moment as well, placing his hands back on Deimos’ waist.

‘Thanks’, Deimos said as he pulled back. Lio was now trying to break off from the intimate session but it was Deimos that was now refusing to let go. Lio turned back to Deimos with his neck still wrapped by Deimos’ arms.

‘Umm... I guess I should prob-...’ Deimos interrupted quickly and said.

‘Stay. Please.’ Lio’s face was a little hesitant but he saw the eager eyes of Deimos staring back at him and he couldn’t resist agreeing. The two washed up and tidied the room, before laying down next to each other on the bed, dosing off into the night.

‘Hey! Stop scratching my boots! You’re ruining them!’ Eros shouted at Phobos.

‘Reeeoowww...!!’

‘I have no idea what you’re saying, but please stay away from my boots!’ Eros shouted back.

‘He was saying that your boots had dirt on them and he was trying to clean them off.’ A deep, familiar voice emerged from the entrance of Eros’ tent. He turned to see Deimos standing at the entrance, as he face lit up and he ran over to give him a hug.

‘Hey man! How are you feeling?’ Deimos embraced Eros tightly for a brief moment before letting go.

‘Feeling good as new. Did this fur ball give you any trouble last night? Sorry you had to deal with him.’ Phobos now pouting and making hissing sounds, clearly displeased with Deimos’ description of him.

‘Nah he’s great. Tucked himself in, cleaned himself, didn’t really do much. Ohh, except his snoring though, woke me up twice in the middle of the night.’ Deimos glared at Phobos, who was now shrugging his shoulders in confusion. Deimos then turned toward Eros and asked.

‘So when did you find out about this personal tent thing? Was it as sudden as me?’ Eros was trying to hold back a laughter as he replied.

‘Ohh no, Lio came to the three of us first thing in the morning yesterday to tell us about it but he wanted us to keep it a secret from you. So he asked us to help him shift your stuff over while he kept you busy? Didn’t really tell us much about that but seeing that you guys were gone the whole day, he did quite a good job!’ Asshole, Deimos thought to himself, as a smirk appeared on his face.

‘He also got us to bring in a wooden table? I didn’t kno-...’ Deimos then interrupted him saying.

‘Ohh that was for my weapons, and stuff, I told him that I... uhh... wanted, one of those...?’ Eros was a little surprised as he knew how Deimos kept his weapons and didn’t really need a table for that, but he dropped the subject and decided not to probe. The moment Deimos was about to leave Eros’ tent, he was greeted by a familiar annoying face as he turned around.

‘GOOD MORNING!’ Rhen shouted at his face, with some spittle landing on his cheeks.

‘Not so good anymore...’ Deimos was wiping the spit away and cleaning it on her clothes. Rhen started pinching Deimos’ left cheek with her right hand as her left hand started sliding up his exposed body from his abs up to his chest.

‘So... How was last night wit-...’ Deimos covered her mouth and pushed her out of the tent before responding to her.

‘What is the matter with you?! Can you please not do that in front of Eros!’ Rhen was a little disorientated by his reaction, so she clarified.

‘What? I just asked ho-... Ohh... Did something interesting happen?’ Rhen started shooting Deimos suggestive eyes and raising her eyebrows. Deimos now realised he did overreact, and Rhen didn’t actually know that Lio gave him a massage yesterday.

‘No, nothing happened. But I just don’t wanna talk about me spending time with other people in front of Eros. He’s hurt enough as it is.’ Rhen corrected Deimos.

‘Men. I think it only affects him when you spend time with other, MEN, wonder boy.’ Rhen was now poking Deimos’ abs with her finger.

‘Yeah ok fine, other me-... Can you stop?!’ Deimos flicked her hand away, getting annoyed with her. Rhen then retaliated with a punch on his arm and said.

‘You seriously need to relax tough guy.’ Rhen turned and walked towards Rhodes’ tent, finding a new victim for her morning nonsense. Deimos stayed outside waiting for the rest to be ready, as they came out one by one. The squad was fully assembled outside of his tent, but just as they were about to move off, Lio emerged from his tent and said.

‘Hey guys, a word?’ signalling them into his private quarters. The squad entered the room, and saw plans laid out on the table in the middle of his room.

‘Please, take a seat.’ Lio instructed as the squad sat round the table.

‘Now, we are scheduled to head out today. My father and I discussed that it was probably best that we establish camp in these two locations and resupply, before looking for the threats and controlling them. I, however, feel that...’ Rhodes completed his sentence.

‘We shouldn’t take the risk.’ Lio nodded at her before he continued.

‘I don’t like the idea of having the team there while the creatures are still roaming, because it limits the amount of people I can protect. While I cannot overrule my father’s orders, I believe we can improve his current plan.’ Eros then chipped in saying.

‘So you’re saying that we should head out a little earlier and ensure the path is clear before signalling the rest to advance?’

‘Something like that, keep us between the monsters and them. That’s our highest priority. And if the monster is there, we still have time to warn the others to keep their distance while we deal with the situation.’ Everyone round the table nodded in agreement. Lio was now flipping through the plans to find the next issue they had to discuss.

‘What else... Ohh right, materials. Rhodes, are you familiar with making tranquilisers?’

‘Yes I am, but I need the parashrooms and sleep herbs...’ Rhen’s hands were now clasping her head again the moment she heard ‘shrooms’. Rhodes elbowing her, asking her to behave herself.

‘Alright, I’m sure I can get some hunters to help you gather those materials at the outskirts of the forest before coming in. We need traps as well, might I suggest a vine tr-...’ Rhodes interrupted him saying.

‘Vine traps and pitfall traps do not work on the Yian Garuga. Its time spent up in the canopy has allowed it to adapt to thick vines, making vine traps useless against it.’

‘Well then what about pitfall traps?’ Eros asked.

‘Yian Garugas are not only observant and powerful, but they are extremely lightweight as well. This would not trigger the pitfall trap as they can easier destroy it and outmaneuver it.’ The team seemed dampened by this, but Rhodes had an alternative.

‘Don’t worry guys, shock traps exist.’ Lio had a surprised look dashed across his face.

‘I just need a trap tool and a thunderbug. Those things give a nasty jolt when agitated. If I can gather enough, the shock should be enough to paralyse the creature long enough for us to sedate.’ Rhodes said confidently, as Lio started taking down the materials that she needed.

‘Then what about the Nargacuga?’ Eros continued asking.

‘They don’t have any particular immunity that I am aware of, so I guess the conventional vine and pitfall traps should do the trick.’ Rhodes replied her partner. Rhen was now tapping on Rhodes’ shoulder as she asked.

‘So what do these hairy creatures hate?’ Rhodes shot Rhen a very confused face.

‘Uhh... Bad breath? I don’t know.’ Rhen now hitting Rhodes’ in the shoulder.

‘Oww! What?’

‘I mean, what do they die to?!’ Rhodes was struggling very hard to understand the idiot’s question, so she turned to the rest hoping to get some inspiration. At this point, Phobos jumped onto the table and purred.

‘Reeree... ooeewww!’ Deimos’ eyes lit up as he enlightened the squad.

‘Ohh, Phobos said Rhen is trying to ask for their weaknesses.’ Rhen eyebrows perked up as she slammed the table in joy that there was at least someone else in the room that understood her.

‘Ohh... That’s what you meant. Nargacuga is weak to thunder while Yian Garuga is weak to water.’ Rhen laughed at this.

‘What’s so funny about that?’ Rhodes asked.

‘Can you imagine its face, whenever it tries to drink water? HAHAHAHAHA!’ The whole table fell silent, Rhen being the only one laughing at her own joke. Deimos picked his charge blade’s shield up, where a dial exists on the underside of it. His charge blade was a unique one, specially made for him by Dan, back in the Old World. While most weapons had to be made specifically for each element, this special dial behind Deimos’ shield allowed the tool to convert the stored energy and release it into whatever element he desired. After all, energy is energy. While the dial looks simple, the mechanics behind how it works is much more complex.

The dial had 6 options: Fire, Ice, Thunder, Water, Dragon and Impact. The impact dial was the most straightforward and Deimos’ go-to option because it reflected the energy back to the monster unchanged, as brute, raw force. The elemental options are a little more interesting. Each element had a rune inserted into the dial, influencing a physical property in the outside world to achieve a specific outcome.

The fire rune coats the shield in a combustive reagent. This reagent is carefully measured such that it will not ignite spontaneously. Usually, the impact of the axe as the shield collides with the target will be the catalyst to this combustion, which creates a blazing inferno in front of the hunter.

The ice rune coats the shield in a protective layer, that when exposed to energy, begins absorbing heat from its surroundings rapidly. This strips heat from its environment so quickly that it causes anything in its proximity to instantly freeze. Once again, the impact of the shield when in its axe mode will destroy this protective layer and allowing the freezing reagents to coat its victim.

The thunder rune practically turns the shield into a battery. As energy is stored, a potential difference is created. With more energy stored, more potential difference is created. When in a shield mode, the circuit is deliberately closed, allowing the energy to be stored indefinitely. However when in axe mode, the shield opens its circuit. This causes any contact to immediately transfer this electrical energy to the target in a rapid and violent manner.

The water rune employs a simple yet powerful interaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The rune supplies these two elements equally throughout the shield. As the shield stores energy, the hydrogen and oxygen remain carefully separated from each other in different phials. The moment the weapon enters axe mode, the phials containing the two elements are shattered, bringing the two elements together. Married with the large amounts of energy stored, the gases merge violently to shower the target in boiling steam.

The dragon rune has an affinity with decay, and is very difficult to replicate since it is not a scientific element. But the closest thing that scholars were able to use to replicate decay is radioactivity. The function of the dragon rune here, therefore, is to coat the shield in a radioactive material that decays readily over time. It decays even faster when energy is supplied, which fills the phials within the weapon with more radioactive energy. Upon release, this parasitic radiation latches itself onto the target, breaking down organic material at a hastened rate. This effect has been aptly termed Elderseal, because of its particular affinity against the Elder Dragons and for good reasons. Elder Dragons were the first monsters that roamed the world and they have exceedingly long lifespans. As such, their bodies are not accustomed or adapted to rapid decay, explaining why the dragon element sometimes cripple these beasts more effectively than any other element.

While the others in the squad do not have this option of a dial, they do have their own arsenal which they can equip themselves appropriately. While Rhen has no interest in equipping herself with the elements, she uses a rather simple yet effective tool in her insect glaive. Her glaive is laced with a very rare venom that selectively attacks the nervous system. It usually buys the team time to reposition, or to make a run for it if the need arises.

Eros’ weapon is also not something that is conventional, and yet still finds its use on the battlefield. His blade is coated in poison, which makes a lot of sense for a weapon such as the sword and shield. As explained previously, the sword and shield isn’t as hard hitting as the greatsword or the hammer, but that does not make it an ineffective weapon. In fact it compensates damage for speed, which makes hunts with the sword and shield usually take longer. Poison, takes its time to weaken the monster, and the longer fights last, the more effective the poison becomes. It therefore makes perfect sense for his weapon to carry such a potent toxin.

Finally, Lio’s greatsword is special in a sense that it is coated in an explosive material. Safe to the touch, but rather dangerous when collided upon with sufficient force. Similar to the fire rune, if sufficient force or impact is dealt to the material, an explosion is catalysed. Due to the material of the sword, it behaves as a shield and deflects the force from the explosion outward, away from the hunter. This ensures that not only the monster feels the full force of the explosion, but the hunter is unharmed by it as well. A risky yet powerful weapon, when used in the right hands.

Deimos switched the dial to impact. Eros noticed this and asked him.

‘Why didn’t you put it to thunder or water? Aren’t we...’ Deimos looked over to Eros and gave him an innocent smile, replying.

‘You don’t actually think that those are the only two monsters in the Ancient Forest do you?’

‘Ohh... Right...’ Eros now realising how stupid he was. After Rhodes told the squad about the monsters’ weaknesses, she figured it would be wise to share a bit about their physiology as well.

‘For the Nargacuga,’ Rhodes turned to face Deimos. ‘We should focus our attacks on its forelegs. The agility of the creature is heavily dependent on its ability to maintain balance. Breaking its wings or crippling its legs will greatly disable the creature.’

‘What about the head?’ Eros asked.

‘The head is usually an option I try to avoid. While most monsters are susceptible to knockouts due to disorientation when hit in the head, being directly in front of the beast is also the last thing you wanna be doing.’ Rhodes explained.

‘And what about crazy chicken?’ Rhen asked.

‘Unforunately for Yian Garuga...’ Rhodes hesitated. Lio raised his eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

‘Yian Garuga’s weak spot is its head. Its body is extremely tough, and I would not recommend going anywhere near its venomous tail that is also covered in tough scales. The head is the only portion that isn’t protected by scales.’

‘But what about its beak? That thing looks tough.’ Deimos reminded the group.

‘Exactly. The lower jaw is also not ideal. If you want to deal any form of respectable damage to the beast, you have to it hit it on top of its head.’ Rhodes explained.

‘Well, that’s a bummer.’ Eros commented.

‘Fuck us then. How are we going to fight that thing?’ Rhen continued. Rhodes shrugged her shoulders. She always had a solution for the team, but this time she felt as lost as they were. Eros pointed out before the team moved on.

‘What about its belly? Is the underside protected?’

‘I don’t think it is, but how are you going to attack it there? There’s no way you’re going to get under the beast without it knowing.’ Rhodes challenged. Eros shared his thoughts.

‘Deimos’ weapon now has improved absorption capabilities right? So I was thinking he could manage the beast head on, maybe even sneak in a few hits every now and then. And Rhen, your weapon paralyses monsters, which may allow us a small window to weaken the beast. I don’t know how practical this is, but I guess it’s worth a shot?’ The reactions were mixed at this point, not because they weren’t convinced with Eros’ plan but they were concerned with its practicality. Lio broke the silence, knowing that this problem may not have a solution any time soon.

‘Maybe we can set this issue aside for now. In the meantime, I should probably just inform you guys that we will be securing the Northwest camp before the canopy camp, for the simple reason that we will encounter it first. So that means we will probably encounter Nargacuga first.’ Lio was about to carry on when Deimos interjected.

‘Rhodes, can you share a bit about Anjanath’s physiology?’ Lio shot Deimos a puzzled look, before realising shortly after what he was doing.

‘Uhh... The Anjanath’s weakness is water, similar to Yian Garuga. Its weak point is its retractable snout. It is made of soft bone that stores and secretes flammable mucus, which it ignites with a flame gland in its throat. But the creature is quite tall, so hitting it on the head might be a little bit of a challenge.’ Deimos nodded at this, before asking Lio if he had any input.

‘Much like what Rhodes said, my experience with the Anjanath is pretty much summed up by that. It’s a short but daunting list of characteristics.’ Lio responded.

‘What about the Great Jagras?’ Deimos continued.

‘Ohh the giant lizard is weak to fire. The creature is the most vulnerable at its expandable throat. It expands significantly when it swallows its meal whole, so the tissue there is soft and weak to allow expansion. Making use of this will cripple the beast greatly.’ Deimos gave another grateful nod before turning back to Lio, signalling that he was done with his questions. Lio then allowed a few more moments of silence in case any more questions needed to be asked before closing the meeting.

‘Alright guys, I don’t know what we will find out there, and I don’t know what is going to happen. But whatever it is, I want all of you to look out for one another, and let’s do this as a team. Look forward to the rewarding meal we’re going to have when we return!’ Lio now stood up as he completed his sentence. The squad felt the energy of their leader and were invigorated by it. The squad left the tent, and made their final preparations before heading out.


	15. Blood for Blood

‘Leaving so soon?’ Rion asked as he saw Lio’s squad ready to head out. Lio nodded as he walked up to his father.

‘Dad, the squad and I want to move out first to ensure all threats are cleared before the research team gets there. We don’t want to take the risk of an incident.’ Rion took time to digest the part of the plan that wasn’t discussed with him before he responded.

‘Very well, take some hunters with you then.’ Lio shook his head saying.

‘No, leave them to escort the researchers, we can handle ourselves, it’s the scholars we’re worried about.’ Rion reluctantly listened to his son, knowing what he was trying to do, but was struggling to see the necessity of it. The teams were still getting their supplies and final preparations done when Lio signalled the squad that they had the green light from the commander to proceed. The squad left Astera, and headed toward the Northwest campsite. Deimos was nervous, but not for the reasons you might expect. He had never been interested in capturing or interfering with nature, especially when he was the one intruding into their homes. While he appreciated the need to establish these campsites, he was struggling with the methods of their confrontations with the beasts. Internally, he was hoping that the creatures would just ignore them during this period and not make an appearance to spare both parties the need for violence. It was naive to think that this was possible, so he tried to convince himself that capturing them was their best option. As the squad reached the outskirts of the campsite, the coast was clear and they were about 30 minutes ahead of the research team’s arrival. Lio didn’t want to take any chances, so he got the squad to survey the area around them and to remain alert while not wandering too far from one another. Rhodes was not allowed to be alone, so Eros was always by her side.

Deimos was surveying the area when Phobos hissed softly into his right ear.

‘What is it buddy?’ Phobos continued hissing as Deimos turned to see what he was reacting to. There was a faint three-clawed paw print on the ground, about the size of Deimos’ torso. It was a Nargacuga’s paw print, a part of Deimos wished he didn’t find it. He signalled Lio to come over, and showed him the tracks he found.

‘Should we follow it?’ Deimos asked.

‘Yes, let’s gather the rest and investigate together.’ Lio signalled for everyone to return and follow the Nargacuga tracks. About a few metres ahead, the footprints disappeared, and an Aptonoth corpse was laying in the middle of a grass patch, covered in black quills, untouched. Rhodes went up and placed her hand on the lifeless body and turned to the team saying.

‘It’s still warm...’ Rhodes then observed that the tree behind the squad had claw marks, three to be exact, on its trunk that went upward. Her eyes followed the scratch marks until she locked on to a black figure with red eyes that were now staring directly at her. Her face turned pale as she froze in position, keeping her gaze on the silhouette in the trees. The squad quickly realised what was happening as they turned around and backed off to shield Rhodes from the beast.

‘Do not engage, let it make the first move.’ Deimos whispered to the team. Rhen was confused as she asked.

‘But aren’t we supposed to capture it?!’ Deimos was at a loss for words. While that was the plan, he didn’t feel a direct forced encounter was the way to settle this. So while he was still struggling with this internally, he remained silent and allowed the events to play out as they wished. The Nargacuga was bearing its fangs at the squad, up until he noticed Deimos, at which its ears folded backwards and its glare relaxed. This caused Deimos to lower his guard as well, putting down his shield.

‘Hey there buddy, good to see you again.’ He mumbled to himself as he smiled at the creature. The Nargacuga, at the sight of Deimos, slowly turned away and disappeared into the forest.

‘What the fuck was that? What just happened?’ Rhen asked while lowering her guard and sheathing her glaive. Lio then turned to Deimos and smiled.

‘Looks like someone remembered our good friend over here.’ Lio now patting Deimos on the back. Deimos’ smile diminished quickly as he turned toward Lio and asked.

‘I uhh...’ He took a breath before continuing, unsure of how to put his point across to the team. ‘Is it possible if we don’t capture the Nargacuga?’ The squad was a little shocked at this sudden and risky change of plans. Deimos tried to convince them.

‘It clearly doesn’t see me as a threat, and it just doesn’t sit well with me to capture it. I’m willing to stay at this campsite to ensure its safety and...’ Lio smiled at Deimos’ innocence and love for nature as he placed his right hand over Deimos’ left shoulder. He reassured him saying.

‘We can speak to my father later and see how he feels. The squad supports your decision, we got your back.’ Eros, Rhodes and Phobos all nodded as Lio said this. Rhen had a very concerned look on her face and her mouth was slightly opened.

‘You’re gonna get all of us killed you mofo.’ She joked as everyone burst out laughing. With the Nargacuga seemingly out of the way for the time being, the squad continued their surveying to ensure no other monster entered the premises. The coast was clear as the research team finally arrived. There were wagons made of wood, pulled by both humans and palicoes, with bags of supplies loaded on it. Rion went up to Lio as he requested for a report.

‘We found the Nargacuga.’ Rion’s eyes enlarged.

‘Really? Did you manage to capture it?’ Lio then explained.

‘It didn’t engage because it recognised us, or well, it recognised Deimos. So it just ran off.’ Rion was stroking his stubby chin when he heard this, frowning as he was deep in thought.

‘I’ve never seen a monster behave that way before.’ Lio then chuckled and reminded his father.

‘Well, you’re never seen a hunter like Deimos before either.’ Rion let out a soft laughter before agreeing with his son. Lio then said with a more serious tone.

‘Listen, Dad. Deimos was concerned about our original plan of capturing the Nargacuga, he’s having second thoughts.’ Rion raised an eyebrow when he heard this. Lio continued. ‘He wants to try his best to avoid a direct confrontation with the beast, and it seems that the Nargacuga shares this sentiment with him only. He’s willing to stay behind to ensure the safety of the camp if it means that we don’t capture it, he’s quite adamant.’ Rion was both moved and a little inspired by the boy’s drive passion in nature, that he was tempted to allow it. But as a leader, he was very careful to not let sentiment take priority over safety. So he looked at Lio and said.

‘I admire the boy’s determination and love for the creature, but I need assurance that the research team will be safe from the beast at all times. I cannot put my trust entirely on sentiment, son.’ Lio then responded.

‘The squad will stay with him. Wherever he goes, we go. His decision is our decision as well, so we will take responsibility as a team. We will ensure that both he and the research team remain unharmed while continuing their research.’ Rion placed his hand over Lio’s shoulder and smiled.

‘Very well then. Carry on.’ Lio’s faced lit up with excitement as he ran over to his squad to deliver the good news. Everyone was elated to hear that the commander was on board with them on Deimos’ request, except Rhen who was now kneeling down on the floor faking a cry.

‘That’s it. This is how we die. All because wonder boy over here can’t hide his love for that black panther.’ The squad remained on guard, setting wider parameters while the researchers settled down and made camp. The moment they reached the thick vines which protected the Northwest campsite, Lio began to relax, knowing that they were out of harm’s way. The easy part was over, and the challenging part was about to begin. The Yian Garuga was not likely going to be as friendly as the Nargacuga, so the squad prepared for a tough fight. Lio ensured all the available manpower stayed at the base of the Ancient Tree to ensure the researchers were safe in case any monster headed their way while the squad carried on to secure the canopy.

‘So we trap the thing, then we tranq it... No no no, we tranq it then we... Rhodes, how exactly are we supposed to catch this thing?’ Rhodes stared at Rhen with a judgemental look and threw another question at her face.

‘When you take a bath, do you put shampoo on first or soap on first?’ Rhen stared at Rhodes, confused as she responded.

‘I don’t use either.’ Rhodes rolled her eyes and walked away.

‘You’re disgusting.’ Rhen chased after her, repeating her original question.

‘Wait, so do I tranq first or trap first? Woman!’ The squad were both excited and nervous about their second encounter with the beast, unsure of how things were going to play out. The thrill of anticipation was both invigorating and nerve-wrecking at the same time. The positive vibes subsided as soon as the squad reached the familiar hollow trunk of the tree, with Lio stopping them before entering. He turned around to face them.

‘Rhodes, I was thinking that you may want to...’ Rhodes interrupted her leader saying.

‘No, I’m coming with you guys. Besides, I can make more traps and potions if needed while you guys are busy with the fight to keep you well supplied. I know how to stay hidden, don’t worry about me.’ Lio smiled when he heard this, both happy and worried at the same time. Before moving out, Rhodes added.

‘Before I forget, each of you have your traps and tranq bombs yes? I made this as well.’ Rhodes unrolled a cloth which had a series of small knives whose blades were coated with a peculiar purplish fluid. ‘These are tranq knives, I figured the tossing of tranq bombs could be a little bit tricky with a flying beast, so a knife might work better. Load it into your slinger, and fire it like you would normally. I couldn’t make much so each one of you only has one shot at this. Try not to miss.’ The team were grateful with Rhodes’ foresight to make their hunt potentially less of a hassle. Everyone loaded their slinger with the tranquilised knife, and started heading up the spiral path.

The squad arrived at the thick vines, and traversed it slowly into the canopy. Lio looked up to where they first saw the Yian Garuga nested, only to find an empty patch. He signalled the squad to follow him, as they crept silently upward to the platform where the campsite was intended to be. As they reached the top, there was still no sign of the creature. Puzzled, the squad decided to investigate a bit more. They began surveying the canopy, feeling very vulnerable as they walked over the thin vine platforms, as they rippled with the slightest force applied to them. The winds were strong as well, blowing relentlessly and rustling the leaves. Eros was nervous as he walked on the vine platforms, so he spent most of his time looking down rather than up. This eventually led to him noticing that a certain platform he was standing on was a darker colour compared to the bright green colour of the vines. As he looked closer, he started to notice the familiar deep purple scales and white feathery mane. The Yian Garuga was directly under him. He immediately cupped his mouth with his hands, preventing himself from making a sound. He turned around, and caught Deimos’ attention, as he pointed down at his feet. Deimos was initially confused, but he squint his eyes to look below the vines to see the dark figure below Eros. Deimos alerted the rest, as they slowly made their way toward Eros to regroup.

‘What do we do?’ Rhen whispered. Lio was unsure, since there was no safe way down to that level. Furthermore, he didn’t want to fight the creature in the canopy, it was too unstable. Rhodes then spoke up.

‘Might I suggest luring it back into the trunk of the Ancient Tree? Fighting it there might be more advantageous for us.’ The squad agreed but were still hesitant because there was still a piece of the puzzle missing.

‘And how do we lure it out?’ Eros asked. Deimos looked around and noticed a scatternut on the floor, by the entrance of the canopy. He turned to the group and said.

‘Leave it to me. You guys get into position.’ At this, the group went back into the hollow tree to take their positions. Deimos took out the knife and replaced it with a scatternut. He aimed it directly on top of where they saw the Yian Garuga, and shot the nut. The ‘pop’ sound was loud enough to alert the beast, as it looked up and took flight to investigate. It perched on the platform they were standing on, and its attention was drawn to the exploded nut on the floor. Deimos stared at the creature, waiting for it to notice him. The Yian Garuga performed its signature scan, starting from the front, and surveyed a 180 degree angle, eventually noticing Deimos. The moment this occurred, Deimos ran through the vines and back into the trunk. He reloaded the tranq knife, and got into position. Rhen and Eros were on the platform overlooking the open area of where the Nargacuga was resting the previous time they were here, attempting to jump on the Yian Garuga as it entered. Lio and Phobos were next to the pond, facing the large opening waiting for their foe. Deimos joined Lio and Phobos on the platform, anticipating the beast. Their ears were piqued before their eyes as they heard a screeching roar coming from the opening. The squad’s ears were in agony, using their hands to cup them. Then, emerging from the opening with the morning sun in the background, a terrifying predator of the skies emerged with its fully stretched wings and perked up ears released a strong gust of wind that almost knocked Lio off his feet. Yian Garuga studied its two adversaries immediately and quickly identified the familiar trespasser, locking its gaze with Deimos. Deimos raised his shield, placing it between him and the airborne wyvern. The Yian Garuga now turned its head to study the other intruder, and seeing that he was in a more vulnerable position, chose to attack him first. Deimos was not expecting that, as he lowered his shield and rushed toward Lio. Lio was still regaining his balance, as he looked up to see the wyvern swooping down with its clawed feet in front about to grab him. Deimos got in between them just in time, using his blade to swoop upward deflecting and chipping away at the beast’s claws. This caused the creature to change its course, the force felt on its feet throwing it off balance, as it flew around and landed where Deimos was previously standing. Deimos looked at the creature’s feet to see that the claws were unscathed, he was amazed at how powerful the creature was.

‘Thanks...’ Lio said firmly as he shifted his position from behind Deimos, to beside him. Yian Garuga was preparing for its next attack, as it perked its head upward and stretched out its wings to the side to make it look larger than it actually is, attempting to intimidate its foes. At this, Rhen leapt off the platform, somersaulting downward with her glaive out to form a spinning bladed-wheel. She landed directly on top of the monster’s head, hitting it out of its intimidating stance. Her sharp glaive made a cut on one of its ears, the pain slowly enraging the beast as it let out another screeching roar. This roar was more piercing than the previous one that it made the squad’s eardrums feel like they were about to explode. They were in excruciating pain. After the roar was over, Eros jumped down too. Just before he hit the ground, he fired his slinger at the creature. The rope wrapped round its tail, pulling him in. He hugged onto the tail with all four limbs, releasing the rope from his slinger, as he began striking the beast with his blade. The thick scales did not allow his blade to pierce it, and the constant jerking of the creature was making Eros start to lose his grip on the tail. Rhen saw this as an opportunity to strike, as she pushed herself off the ground with one end of the glaive, as the magic of the weapon kicked in to relief her of her body weight. She spiralled through the air like a swimmer while swinging her glaive around, hitting the creature in quick succession while remaining airborne. Her blade was no match for its tough scales, so she focused her strikes on its fleshy wings. With each cut introducing more of the paralytic toxin into the creature’s bloodstream.

Deimos ran to the back of the creature to help Eros, as Lio charged toward the beast head-on. He ran up to the beast with his huge greatsword out, stopping just before he reach the beast and pivoted his body such that the momentum was translated into his now outward swinging blade as the fuller smashed the side of the Yian Garuga’s head. The sheer weight of the greatsword together with the momentum caused the Yian Garuga to topple to its side, exposing its underside. Eros saw this as an opportunity, as is got off and stabbed the beast in between its legs with his poisoned blade. Its hide was not as tough as its scales but even so, Eros’ blade did not penetrate much into it. So with the blade stabbed into its flesh, he used his shield to hit the hilt of the blade, sinking it deeper. The Yian Garuga got up wailing in pain, with the searing pain felt from the blade now stuck in its underside. It used it feet to kick Eros, sending him flying off to the side. While the physical pain of the blade was felt, the Yian Garuga seemed completely unaffected by the noxious toxin from Eros’ blade.

‘Arggh!’ His back hitting the side of the trunk, now in a sitting down position with his hand over his abdomen, where the beast landed a direct kick. Rhodes ran over to him trying to get him up as he wailed in pain. Three of Eros’ rips had been shattered by the powerful blow, and Rhodes brought him out of danger as quickly as she could, seeing that he was in no position to continue fighting. Yian Garuga’s attention was now turned to the one who knocked it over, so it turned its body to swing its venomous tail attempting to hit Lio. He raised his sword and place his left hand behind the blade for added support to block the blow, but some of the spikes were able to cut the side of his left arm, drawing blood. He examined the wound, and noticed a stain of black fluid trickling out.

‘Shit!’ Lio knew it was only a matter of time before the venom of the beast kicked it, and he had to hurry. Now with Yian Garuga’s back turned toward Lio, he grabbed the tail with his now bleeding left arm, and swung his greatsword with his right arm over his head, allowing the blade to sink into the tail. The tough scales resisted the immense weight of the blade, but it did not come out undamaged, as Lio observed the dent that his weapon caused. As Yian Garuga was about to react, the paralytic toxin from Rhen’s weapon gripped the monster in place, causing its muscles to go in involuntary spasms. This allowed Lio to go for another blow, albeit a much weaker one now, with both his energy being spent on the duration of the fight and battling the poison now coursing through his body. The second blow sunk his giant blade through the scale, and now lodged into its hide. While the Yian Garuga could not move, it could still feel the sharp sensation of the penetrating blade in its rear. It quickly regained control as it took flight, pushing everyone back and off their feet. Rhen fell from the air as the creature knocked her off with the powerful wind pressure created with its strong wings. Yian Garuga’s eyes now filled with unrivalled rage as it folded its wings and tucked its feet in and torpedoed downward beak-first toward Deimos. Deimos raised his shield to block the blow directly, causing his whole arm to strain at the immense stopping power of the creature. Even though he was able to block the blow, his body was pushed back almost a metre to resist the impact. He quickly turned the dial behind his shield to the water rune, as he inserted his blade into the shield, swinging it overhead and smashing it directly onto Yian Garuga’s head. The force released a stream of boiling steam, completely covering the beast’s face and beak. The boiling water now covering its face scalded its ears, softened the scales and bony lower jaw. Deimos used this moment where the monster was briefly stunned to swing his blade in an upward motion, hitting the lower jaw and chipping a part of it. The Yian Garuga whined as a part of its beak lay broken now on the floor. And as soon as it thought its agony was over, Lio pushed his whole body weight onto the already lodged blade, relieving Yian Garuga of its venomous whip. The creature fell over in pain, with its stubbed tail now showing exposed pink raw flesh. The creature was squirming, as Deimos stopped the squad.

‘Enough! Stop!’ Lio and Rhen stopped to look at Deimos whose face was beginning to be filled with sympathy for the creature. He took out his tranq knife, and aimed it carefully at the underside of the beast. The sharp blade sinking easily into the creature’s tough hide, causing it to stop struggling and knock out into a deep slumber. Deimos collected the shattered beak, before heading over to the beast and recovered Eros’ sword and shield. Deimos knelt down beside the tranquilised beast, and placed his hand over its rough beak, still warm from the scalding steam. Lio came over beside him and knelt down.

‘You ok?’ Deimos shook his head once, before looking at Lio.

‘I... My heart aches every time I hear them wail in pain.’ Deimos now looked back at the creature. ‘And why did you have to cut off its...’ Deimos was about to scold Lio when he noticed his bleeding and swelling left arm.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t... Urghh!’ Lio was now starting to feel the venom get to work. He placed his right hand over the wound as he fell over groaning.

‘No, no, no... How did this... RHODES!’ Deimos shouted at the top of his lungs, now looking at Lio lying on the floor in agony. Rhen realised what was happening, as she went over to the pond were a blue herb was growing by the water. She grabbed a leaf to collect some water and plucked the blue herb, crushing it with her other hand. She mixed it with the water, and got Lio to drink it. Lio ingested the blue liquid, but was still in pain. Deimos turned to Rhen and checked that she was ok, before asking her to get Rhodes. Rhen nodded and ran up the spiral path, screaming for her female friend.

‘It’s going to be alright, ignore what I said earlier, I was stupid...’ Lio took a break from his wailing and looked at Deimos in the eyes, forcing a smile, with tears of pain dripping from his eyes.

‘What are you smiling about?! Just hold on, Rhodes is on her way.’ Lio placed his right hand now on Deimos’ left cheek, causing Deimos to hold on to it with his left hand. Rhodes was now running down the spiral path without Rhen and toward the two.

‘What happened?’ Rhodes asked.

Deimos shook his head, not knowing what happened but guessed that Lio took a blow from Yian Garuga’s tail. Rhodes noticed the severed spiked tail on the side, and caught up quickly as well. She turned to Deimos and said.

‘I can make him some medicine, but it would only delay the spread. I think its best you head back and tell the...’ Deimos interrupted and said.

‘I’m not leaving him!’ Rhodes sighed, and looked at Deimos saying.

‘Listen, I know you feel better being here with him but that will not help him. What he needs is proper medicine that only the research team has. Please!’ Deimos was embarrassed for allowing his emotions to stand in the way again but his heart was aching at the thought. He felt Lio squeeze his hand as Deimos looked down at him. Lio nodded at him, signalling to him that he was going to be alright. Deimos reluctantly stood up and left.

‘I want all of you ready to set out to the canopy the moment they return. I don’t want the squad’s effort to be in vain just because you guys are sloppy!’ Rion was controlling the situation down at the Northwest campsite. Deimos appeared running from the hollow tree, toward Rion. Rion heard the heavy footsteps, and turned around, glad to see Deimos safe.

‘You’re safe, where’s the rest?’ Deimos responded as he panted heavily.

‘They are injured, we need medical assistance now!’ Rion’s eyes enlarged, but before he signalled for the research team to advance, he asked Deimos.

‘Is the Yian Garuga dealt with?’ Deimos’ eyes were filled with rage as he shouted at the commander.

‘Did you not hear me?! My squad is injured and needs...’ Deimos felt a slap across his face as Rion repeated his question calmly but louder this time.

‘Do not forget who you are addressing, hunter. Now, answer my question, is the Yian Garuga dealt with?’ Rion stared at Deimos. Deimos was recovering from the shock, with his left hand over his cheek.

‘Yes... Yes Sir. We managed to tranquilise it and its in the middle of the spiral path.’ Rion placed his hand over Deimos’ shoulder now, relaxing his gaze.

‘Thank you.’ He now turned to the research team and signalled them to make haste toward the squad to assist them. Rion followed behind them, and Deimos did so too. As they reached the scene, the scholars rushed to the slumbering Yian Garuga while the hunters continued transporting the materials upward to the campsite. The medical assistants quickly rushed to Eros’ and Lio’s aid. Eros was rested on the platform above, where the Nargacuga was, together with Rhen, while Lio lay beside the sleeping Yian Garuga with Rhodes. Rion knelt down beside his son and asked.

‘How is he?’ Rhodes shook her head.

‘He’s ok, but he’s very weak. Yian Garuga’s venom is known to cripple its victim. It’s not fatal, but he will not feel comfortable. He needs to rest.’ Rion turned to Rhodes and asked.

‘Should he rest here or should we bring him back to Astera?’

‘I don’t think we should move him. If there are tents around, that should suffice.’ Rhodes replied. Rion stood up and looked around for the remainder of the squad and asked for them.

‘Ohh, Eros fractured three of his ribs. He took a direct blow to his abdomen from the creature. He’s further up the spiral path with Rhen.’ Deimos was shocked when he heard this, he didn’t know Eros was hurt so bad. So he decided to go up to take a look, seeing that Lio was now in good hands. Eros was wailing in pain as he was seated up and leaning his back against the wooden trunk.

‘Stop moving! What do you expect to feel when you keep touching your injured ribs!’ Rhen was trying to get Eros to relax, but he was clearly extremely uncomfortable. Deimos came up and squatted in front of Eros, seeing him in agony was tearing away at his heart. Eros didn’t notice Deimos because his eyes were shut tight in pain. Deimos grabbed his hands, to prevent him from touching his injury, and held on to them tightly.

‘I’m here Eros.’ Deimos whispered.

Eros didn’t open his eyes, but Deimos could feel his struggling begin to slow down together with his breathing. He began to relax, but still clearly in pain, as he squeezed Deimos’ hands tightly. Eros was beginning to tear.

‘It hurts...’

Deimos couldn’t bear this sight as he began tearing as well. At this point, the medical assistants came over, and began feeding Eros analgesic medication. Deimos moved back to give the nurses space to patch Eros up, and found himself now standing next to an equally worried Rhen. He turned to look at her and asked.

‘You ok?’

Rhen nodded, before turning to hit Deimos lightly on his right arm.

‘You were pretty awesome out there wonder boy!’ This forced a smile to appear on Deimos’ face. As Rhen turned back toward Eros, smiling to herself as she thought: ‘That’s more like it.’


	16. Salt in the Wound

‘Incredible! From the severed tail, we can see that the Yian Garuga’s diet on toadstools is not only for survival, but for defence and offense as well!’ One of the junior scholars was trying to explain this phenomenon to Dr Ena. ‘Hear me out. Notice how its blood is concentrated with the toxin from the toadstool, similar to the extracts we collected some years back from that Rathian. These creatures have somehow managed to not only protect themselves from the deadly venom, but separated and stored it inside its tail to use it as its own weapon. Ingenius!’

‘And how exactly is this knowledge going to help Lio?’ An impatient and increasing irritated Rhodes asked the scholar.

‘Well, I... uhh...’ Dr Ena calmed Rhodes down, breaking down the implication of this finding.

‘Now that we know that the venom attacking Lio’s system is that from the toadstool, we can start our treatment with known substances that cure that poison. Forgive my apprentice, he gets easily excited with discoveries that he sometimes loses track of the situation at hand.’ Dr Ena signalled his scholars and doctors to quickly get started on the cure for Lio as Rhodes continued to mend his open wound on his arm. Lio was conscious but found it difficult to move. Still, he mustered his strength to speak to Rhodes.

‘Hows... Eros... Arggh!’ Rhodes frowned at Lio and pushed his head back down to rest.

‘You boys, can’t stop fretting. Stay still!’ Rhodes was empathetic about Lio’s concern, and after a short while, she answered his question.

‘He’s not doing too well. He fractured three of his ribs.’ Lio now opened his eyes and stared at Rhodes with a sympathetic look. Rhodes caught it, and then responded.

‘But I know Eros, he’ll be fine. He’ll whine a lot but he’ll be ok. He’s tough.’ These words were enough to comfort Lio and help him relax as he shut his eyes. Dr Ena came back shortly with a blue tablet and some water, giving it to Rhodes.

‘Get Lio to ingest this, it should stop the sweating.’ Rhodes obeyed and sat Lio up to take the medication. The shivering and the paleness faded away almost instantly, and Lio felt much better. He tried to get up but his muscles were still crippled, causing him to fall back and landing on his tailbone.

‘Ahhh shit!’ Rhodes supported him up to a sitting position before reprimanding him.

‘Not so fast! Your body’s still in shock.’ Rhodes turned to Dr Ena thanking him, and told him that she could handle Lio. She advised him to take a look at Eros, whose injury was more of a concern at the moment. Rhodes helped Lio up, supporting him under his left arm, as she walked with him slowly up the spiral path to a tent that was set up for the sick. As they reached the top, they noticed Rhen sitting outside the tent, sharpening her glaive. The moment she looked up and saw the two, she dropped her weapon and rushed over to support Lio’s right arm.

‘You boys are so bloody heavy...’ She complained as she took half of the load over her shoulders. Lio chuckled at her comment before asking her.

‘Where’s Eros?’

‘Ohh he’s in the tent, the doctors are tending to his wounds as best they can, but they say he needs time to heal. No easy way round fractured ribs apparently.’ Lio knew what that was like. Even with effective medicine, bone injuries took weeks to heal, and without them, months. As the three entered the tent, they saw Eros lying on the bed with his upper body perked up in a 45 degree angle, with bandages wrapped round his abdomen, his face squinting in pain. Deimos was by his side, hold onto his left hand. As the ladies put Lio down on his bed, he remained seated to look at Deimos’ interaction with Eros. He wasn’t jealous, in fact he was moved, to see the way Deimos treated the people he cared about. Deimos eventually felt eyes on him, so he turned around and as he saw Lio, he was about to get up and rush over to him, but Lio raised him hand, signalling him to stop. Deimos continued to stare at Lio as Lio flashed a smile and pointed at Eros, he then mouthed to Deimos.

‘I’m fine’, before laying himself down on his bed to get some rest. At this, Deimos turned his attention back to Eros, clasping his hand tighter. The two ladies left the tent, and went to find Rion to help out in the setting up of the camp. Deimos stared at Eros in this state, and it pained him immensely, but he knew staying here staring at him wouldn’t hasten his recovery. The moment he saw that Eros was relaxed, he slowly let go of his hand to join the rest in setting up camp. As soon as Eros felt the sensation of the warm hands disappear, he opened his eyes and grabbed Deimos’ arm with his left hand. Deimos turned back to look at him, Eros then spoke in a feeble voice.

‘Please stay...’ Deimos looked out of the tent for a brief moment, before turning back to Eros’ pain-filled eyes. He contemplated for awhile before sitting by his side again and holding on to Eros’ left hand with both his hands.

‘I’m here, I’m here.’ Eros smiled as he shut his eyes again, dosing off.

‘Sir, both Northwest and canopy campsites are up and functional. The research team is on standby to begin their work.’ A hunter from the fifth fleet reported to commander Rion.

‘Very good. Get them to begin their work immediately. I want every research team to be escorted by at least two hunters.’ The hunter nodded, as he left to relay the message.

‘How long do you think you’ll need these campsites for, doctor?’ Rion now turned to Dr Ena. The two were in a tent, with two maps on the table; one of the Ancient Forest and one of the whole island.

‘I believe we just need a few days. We need to gather fresh samples and do some quick testing, and we will also try to get a visual of Zorah from the canopy to confirm our findings before planning our next step.’

‘If we do them simultaneously, we can save time yes?’ Rion question further.

‘Yes. I guess the hunters can help with the visul surveyance while the research teams focus on collecting samples.’ Dr Ena said in agreement.

‘And all of your testing can be done here? You have all the equipment you need?’ Rion asked.

‘Yes Sir, we brought everything we need. Once we get a hold of the samples, we simply return back to camp, and we will begin our study on the material immediately.’ Rion nodded as he heard the encouraging news. The doctor then changed the subject.

‘Commander, your son...’

‘Will be alright. Thank you for your concern, doctor.’ Rion interrupted. Dr Ena nodded as he left the tent.

Rhen returned to the tent where the three guys were in after she was done helping with the setting up of camp. She saw Lio and Eros asleep, and Deimos seated beside Eros, with his hands no longer holding onto Eros’ hands. Deimos was still looking at him intently, however. Rhen crept over and squeezed Deimos’ side. This caused him to jerk upwards and consciously resist the temptation to swear. He turned around and punched Rhen in her arm as he said softly.

‘You...!’ Rhen was now laughing softly as she ran out of the tent. Deimos looked at his two injured squadmates sound asleep as he decided to exit the tent as well.

‘So... How are...’ Rhen asked as she was interrupted by an anxious Deimos.

‘Eros is hurt pretty badly, but the doctors managed to patch him to make him as comfortable as they could. I wasn’t with Lio, so I don’t really know what happened, but he told me he was fine so...’ Rhen placed her both her hands on Deimos’ cheeks, focusing his attention on her as she repeated her question.

‘Boy! I know how they are. I was asking how are you holding up?’ Deimos frowned at her and replied almost immediately.

‘Me? I’m fine, I didn’t sustain any injur-...’ Rhen then pointed her index finger to the middle of his chest and began poking it gently.

‘I meant how are you holding up here?’ At this, Deimos looked away and started to let his mind wander. Rhen knew him well, and so she allowed these moments of silence. He sat himself down on the floor, and she sat next to him, continuing to look at him.

‘I guess... I don’t know. It pains me to see them like this.’ Deimos spoke up.

‘Well all of us do, but I think there’s something beyond all of that that’s troubling you.’ Deimos looked at Rhen and wondered how she could possible pick up something so subtle. He didn’t think he left any clues around, or so he thought. What he didn’t realise is his thoughts were smeared all across his face.

‘I kinda shouted at Lio for cutting Yian Garuga’s tail off. I assumed at the time that his bloodlust just got the better of him, which resulted in unnecessary violence and suffering for the beast, but I didn’t know that he was just trying to prevent the same venom that he suffered from getting to the rest of us. I’m so fucking...’ Deimos started hitting his head with his palm, and Rhen had to quickly stop him because he was using quite a bit of force.

‘Hitting your head won’t help you silly boy! You’ll just make yourself uglier and more stupid!’ Deimos then turned to her and smiled.

‘Well then you’ll have some company.’ Rhen perked her eyebrows up, and threw Deimos’ hands back at him before pushing his head away from her. She let out a soft chuckle before continuing.

‘You boys are such a mess. Tough acting outside and yet, so lost and vulnerable inside. So sensitive!’ Deimos didn’t react because he saw truth in that. There was no use hiding anything from Rhen, he learnt through the time spent with her. He was curious how Rhen dealt with situations like this, so he took the opportunity to ask innocently.

‘Alright, then how would you handle the situation?’

‘Me? Well no different from you.’ Deimos was confused and stared at her intently.

‘The difference is what I feel inside wonder boy. While I would’ve said the same thing as you, I wouldn’t be so hard on myself because I didn’t know all the facts at the time. But the moment I’m aware of the situation, I’ll just behave accordingly. Simple. No guilt, because my conscience is clear.’ Deimos was a little sceptical with Rhen’s methods, because while he had no doubt that she could pull it off, he was quite a different story. He felt like he could never forgive himself for speaking too quickly before knowing all the facts, he was hard on himself that way. Rhodes returned with supplies and handled them over to the medical team to make more medicine and potions for the team. Once that was settled, she went back up to join the rest of her squad.

‘Ohh, the woman is back.’ Rhen said as she saw Rhodes coming up the spiral path.

‘I think I’ll head back into the tent to join the two.’ Deimos informed Rhen before re-entering the tent. He sat next to Lio this time, and held his right hand, feeling his body warmth return. He could feel his muscles a little weaker than usual, as he moved his hands along Lio’s forearm. This excessive physical contact woke Lio up, and he turned to see Deimos sitting by his side. A smile emerging from his face.

‘Hey...’ Lio said weakly. Deimos sat in closer the moment he heard Lio’s voice.

‘How are you feeling?’ Deimos asked.

‘Much better, now that you’re here.’ Lio flattered. Deimos enjoyed hearing those words as it created a warm feeling in his chest. Deimos looked over to Lio’s left arm to examine to wound, only to find it wrapped neatly in a bandage. Lio turned to look at it before saying.

‘Rhodes is really neat with her wrappings. She fixed me up real good.’ Deimos chuckled as he added.

‘Yeah, I’ve been there before. She’s really good.’

‘Yeah. And she has really soft hands too.’ Deimos was now glaring at Lio.

‘What? I’m just saying...’

‘Don’t think I won’t hit you just because you’re injured.’ Deimos threatened.

‘Alright jealous boy, I’ll stop.’

‘What?! I’m not jealous, I’m just...’ Lio placed his hand over Deimos’ mouth to ensure his raised voice didn’t wake Eros up.

‘Shhh... Not so loud!’ Lio smiled as he whispered to Deimos, enjoying every second of tease he could squeeze out of this moment. Lio then noticed that Deimos’ left cheek was a little red, so he placed his hand over it and asked.

‘Are you... What happened to your cheek?’ Deimos was initially confused with what Lio was talking about. Then he remembered the slap that Rion gave him.

‘Ohh... That was uhh...’ Lio stared at Deimos, knowing that he was trying to cover something up.

‘Deimos, what happened?’ Lio’s voice turned serious.

‘Promise me you won’t get angry, and I’ll tell you. It wasn’t his fault.’ At the sound of this, he sat up and stared straight into Deimos’ eyes.

‘He? Someone hit you?’ Lio’s voice started to get a little louder. Deimos was starting to get intimidated with Lio’s disposition, so he told him the truth.

‘Your... umm...’ Lio’s eyes were now filled with rage.

‘My dad...’ He muttered softly as he got up and stormed out of the tent. Deimos was frantic, running after Lio.

‘Lio, please! Let me explain!’

‘What’s there to explain? Nobody hits my squad mate and... No, my boyfriend, and gets away with it. Not even my father. Where is he?!’ Lio was looking around for his father’s tent, his face enraged. Deimos ran in front of Lio, and tried his best to hold him still.

‘Lio, listen to me, it’s not that serious! Please let me explain!’ Deimos was desperate for Lio to calm down and listen, he didn’t want to get between the father and son. It would ruin him to see their relationship falter because of him. Lio pushed him aside and entered Rion’s tent, unannounced. Rion was surprised to see Lio, but was even more puzzled to see his son’s enraged expression.

‘How are you feeling, son?’ Rion asked calmly.

‘Why did you hit Deimos?’ Rion turned to see Deimos at the entrance of the tent, standing behind Lio. Rion remained silent, as he sat himself down at the table looking at Lio.

‘So you’re refusing to talk to me? Answer my question!’ Lio had both his hands placed on the table and stood in front of his father across the table.

‘I am more than willing to speak to you and answer your question Lio, but not when you’re like this.’ Lio’s blood began to boil. Deimos walked up and grabbed Lio’s arm and said.

‘Lio, Lio! Please, your dad wasn’t...’ Then Deimos saw Rion raise his hand to stop him. Rion gave Deimos a reassuring look that the father and son can and should sort things out on their own. Rion did appreciate Deimos trying to play peacemaker here. Deimos reluctantly let Lio go, and took a few steps back. Lio then retaliated.

‘I’m not leaving this tent until you give me an answer!’

‘Suit yourself’, Rion then continued the work he was doing before the two intruded. This nonchalant attitude from his father was the tipping point for Lio as he stormed to his father’s side, pushing all of his work off the table. Deimos could not hold back anymore as he went up to Lio’s side shouting at him.

‘LIO!’ Lio then turned to Deimos and shouted back.

‘WHAT?!’ Deimos then began shaking his head slowly, begging him one final time to stop this madness. Lio once again, looking into Deimos’ deep sapphire eyes caused him to calm down a little and realise the damage that he had caused. He then looked down at his father who was now looking directly at him, still with an indifferent expression across his face. Lio took a few steps back and looked to the ground. He turned towards the entrance of the tent and left without another word. Deimos watched as Lio left before he helped Rion pick up his work from the ground.

‘Thank you young man.’ Rion said after Deimos helped him with all the papers. Before Deimos could say anything, however, Rion continued.

‘The last time I witnessed my son behave like this was about a year ago. Would you do me a favour and look out for him? Treat it like a favour from a friend.’ Rion had his hand now over Deimos’ shoulder. Deimos was more than happy to do it, not just for Rion, but for Lio’s sake as well.

Lio sat outside the medical tent, staring into the distance, still furious with the ordeal. Deimos sat down on his right, looking at him.

‘I’m sorry... I was just so... Angry...’ Lio explained, with a little frustration still present in his voice. Deimos was extremely touched at how protective Lio was over him, but he also felt responsible for creating this friction between him and his father.

‘I mean, what good reason could there possibly be to strike a friend? Or anyone? Ridiculous...’ Lio was still verbalising his thoughts out loud, so Deimos just let him be. Lio then turned toward Deimos and asked him.

‘So? What was the old man’s reason for hitting you?’ Deimos spoke up explaining.

‘I went to him to inform him that the squad was injured pretty bad and needed medical attention immediately. And he followed up by asking me simply if the Yian Garuga was taken care of. So instead of me answering his question, I began shouting at him telling him to send medical assistance immediately. That was when he hit me. But that was only to snap me out of...’ Before Deimos could finish, he could see Lio’s unconvinced face as he started shaking his head.

‘How typical of him’, Lio muttered. Deimos didn’t blame Rion for doing that, or for even asking that question, they were all reasonable, he felt. Granted he didn’t particularly enjoy the slap, but it yielded results quickly and effectively. Lio was now looking into the distance.

‘I didn’t tell you the last time, but my father did something similar a year ago. And he knows how much I dislike it. Especially when...’ Lio now turned to look at Deimos. Lio then turned away to continue.

‘After we were done securing the Diablos, I wanted to drop everything to face the Nergigante and bring my partner back. But it was my father that ordered my squad to remain near the research team to ensure their safety, otherwise all our efforts would be in vain.’ Lio’s tears began running, but he wasn’t sobbing, which was reflected in the clarity of his voice as he continued to speak.

‘I am still haunted till this very day, wondering if we went over to help a little sooner, if we could have...’ Lio started shaking his head, the thoughts, memories, flooding in seemed to cause him too much pain. Deimos held his hand and squeezed it tight, Lio placed his other hand over it, sandwiching Deimos’. Lio now turned back to Deimos and said.

‘I let it happen once, I’m not going to let it happen again. Not to you, I cannot lose another... I...’ Lio couldn’t hold it in anymore, reminiscing the grief and hurt he felt at this very moment was overwhelming, leading him to break down. Deimos embraced him tightly, not saying a word, just the two of them chest-to-chest, and cheek-to-cheek. After a few minutes, when Deimos heard the crying mellow down, he chose that time to speak up.

‘I’m pretty sure your father knows how much you dislike it. But he is burdened with making decisions that no other person is willing to make, decisions that are difficult. That’s why he’s our commander, he dares to make these decisions. We may be the ones to suffer from his decisions, but he has to live with them, which I feel is a much trickier affair.’ Lio calmed down enough to listen to Deimos, even though he was not exactly in an agreeing mood.

‘I’m not asking you to agree with your father, but maybe at least see that he’s not trying to hurt you intentionally? I mean I’m fine Lio, really, in fact I appreciated the slap to be honest, because I was so flustered.’ Lio let out a soft chuckle when he heard that, before turning to face Deimos.

‘You really like my father don’t you?’ Deimos widened his eyes as he waved his hands in front of his face.

‘What? No, no, no, I mean I’m just trying to help you see things from his point of view.’ Lio laughed. Deimos then continued.

‘Promise me you’ll talk to him? Properly.’ Lio smiled as he realised Deimos starting to sound very differently from when he first arrived. Lio nodded as he stood up, heading back to his father’s tent.

‘It eats WHAT?!’ Rhen screamed.

‘Toadstools’, one of the junior scholars lifted up a toadstool while wearing a glove, putting it uncomfortably close to Rhen’s face.

‘Get that demonic thing away from me! I don’t want to become a Blackveil Vaal Hazak baby!’ Rhen shouted as Phobos was poking the mushrooms, thrilled by the swishy noises they made.

‘Did someone say Blackveil Vaal Hazak?’ Dr Ena questioned. Rhen and Rhodes now turned to look at Dr Ena, who was wearing a rather serious expression on his face. ‘How did you guys come to know of such a creature?’

‘Ohh don’t listen to her, she’s just spouting nonsen-...’ Rhodes was trying to complete her sentence when Dr Ena placed a pulsating white spore on the table. Very similar to a dandelion but much denser with a faint greyish tint.

‘EEEEWWWWW...!!!’ Rhen couldn’t bear to take a second look at the pulsing spore so she ran off. Rhodes, on the other hand, was intrigued.

‘I can’t... Is that... Really?’ Dr Ena nodded confidently.

‘We never knew such a variant of Vaal Hazak actually existed, but the evidence is astonishingly convincing. For one, spores like these are very temperamental, they require a very specific condition to be met in order for them to thrive.’ Rhodes then asked curiously.

‘And what condition is that?’

‘Life’, Dr Ena responded excitedly. Rhodes was frowning because that was a very vague response. Dr Ena could sense the confusion, so he explained.

‘This particular fungus belongs to the same family as the mandragora. Which means it flourishes at the expense of other living things. With this spore, however, it has no structure on its own, and so the conditions of nature are often too harsh for it to even begin growing. If we were to talk about living off another living being, however...’

‘Then it is protected by the creature!’ Rhodes answered.

‘Exactly. And what better creature to live off than a monster that can absorb the very life force from its surroundings? This symbiotic relationship between the toxic spore and the fearsome Elder Dragon is truly a natural wonder!’ Dr Ena was really getting excited as he completed his sentence. Rhodes then asked her next question, which she soon regrets.

‘Where did your team come across this spore?’

‘Well here, in the Ancient Forest. The first team that went to collect Zorah materials returned just 5 minutes ago with this. We initially thought Zorah was sick, but we found dead tissue on the underside of the spore, which seem to suggest that this had nothing to do with Zorah, and we’re dealing with something entirely different. Furthermore, we know this was from an Elder Dragon because the dead tissue we found was almost a hundred years old...’ Rhodes’ eyes grew larger as she heard this, both excitement and fear coursed through her entire body. An Elder Dragon, here in the Ancient Forest. It was already a huge privilege to even see an Elder Dragon, but an Elder Dragon that was only thought to be a myth? This was groundbreaking. Rhodes stayed a little longer to help the researchers with their findings before regrouping with the rest.

As Lio left to confront his father, Deimos decided to go back into the tent to keep Eros company. He came in to see him awake and trying to get up from his bed, so he rushed over saying.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Eros looked up and saw Deimos, a smile appearing on his face as he replied.

‘Staying in the same position for this long is making my ass numb. I’m just trying to... Urrgghhh!!’ Eros groaned as he twisted his waist to turn his body. Deimos went over to help him shift, putting his left arm behind him to support his back. They were now seated next to each other, and Eros leaned in to rest on Deimos’ chest.

‘Ohh, how I missed this.’ Deimos missed it too, but he was torn as to where to draw the line with Eros. He allowed it for now.

‘How are you feeling?’ Deimos asked to break the silence.

‘It still hurts, but it’s a lot better. What did they feed me?’ Deimos was trying very hard to recall what they did to him. He was now wishing Rhodes was here to help answer his question.

‘Umm... I think they fed you some... Tea?’ Eros raised his left eyebrow, not remembering ingesting any tea. Deimos then gave up and said.

‘I have no idea what they fed you bro.’ Eros started to pout when he heard this.

‘So... I’m just a bro to you now?’ Deimos was startled by this comment and he started panicking.

‘No, that’s not what I meant... I uhh...’ Eros burst out laughing as he said to him.

‘Haha I’m just messing with you. I know what you mean.’

*Grrrgglll* Eros’ stomach began to rumble as it demanded food. Deimos was about to get up to get him some food when Eros stopped him requesting that they went together. Deimos tried to convince him to stay but relented eventually. The two walked out of the tent, with Deimos supporting Eros’ right arm over his shoulders. Rhodes, Rhen and Phobos were just coming up by the spiral path and saw the two coming out of the tent.

‘What are you two doing?’ Rhodes asked.

‘Eros is hungry, so we’re looking for food.’ Deimos answered.

‘You two sit down, Rhen and I can bring you guys food. Stop walking around like that, you should be resting!’ Rhodes said while facing Eros.

‘Yes mum’, Eros mocked as Deimos brought him to the side and sat him down.

‘Meeerrrrwww!’

‘Why? That looks burnt!’ Rhen replied.

‘Reeeeemmmwwww!’

‘No, that looks raw!’ Rhen challenged. Phobos then grabbed the two fish that Rhen disapproved of and walked off.

‘Hey! Why do you need so much food?!’ Rhen chased after Phobos with her hands filled with food as well. Rhodes carried her fair share and returned to the group. They sat down in a circle, with Lio now returning from his father’s tent. The squad was now back in full strength as they enjoyed their dinner. Lio had a freshened look on his face, which allowed Deimos to eat in peace, guessing that his conversation with his father went well. So to start things off, Deimos asked.

‘So how’s the Yian Garuga? Did the scholars find out anything interesting about it?’ Rhodes turned toward Rhen who was playing with Phobos before sharing with the rest.

‘Well it turns out that the venom the Yian Garuga employs is same from that of toadstool. It somehow manages to use the toxins as its own weapon. That’s how Lio was cured actually, the scholars simply fed him with their known antidote for the venom.’ At this point, Rhen interjected.

‘If I were ever poisoned by a Yian Garuga, just let me die. I don’t want to transform into a horrible mushroom monster.’ At this, Rhodes’ eyebrows perked up.

‘Speaking of mushroom monsters...’ Rhen was not happy with where that conversation was headed.

‘Dr Ena believes that an Elder Dragon is living in the Ancient Forest!’ The three guys’ eyes enlarged, some out of excitement, some out of shock. Rhodes continued to tell them about the findings that were shared with her and proof that the variant of the fiendish Elder Dragon Vaal Hazak actually exists.

‘You’re not joking?’ Eros asked. Rhodes turned to him and shook her head. Lio was not very excited about this, but Deimos clearly was as a smile slowly appeared across his face. Deimos had always wanted to face an Elder Dragon. They were known to control a specific element of nature, which indirectly meant that they, of all creatures, understood nature’s awesome power, the power of adaption. The battle between them would truly be one for the history books. Their long life was not just a testimony to their superior make-up, but also their survival instincts. On one hand, Deimos couldn’t wait to face an Elder Dragon with his trusty squad, but on the other, he prayed that confronting such a beast will never be necessary.

‘And any news about Zorah?’ Lio asked.

‘Ohh yes, they said that based on Zorah’s sample they managed to collect, the scholars can finally conclude that Zorah is indeed dying, and it is trying to find its final resting place.’ Rhodes then paused awhile to recollect her thoughts. ‘They also confirmed that their original guess that it was going to pass through the Coral Highlands was accurate.’ Rhodes explained. The squad nodded in unison, elated at the conclusive news that the research team managed to come to. As the group was done with their meal and about to retire, Dr Ena was seen running up the spiral path toward them. Rhodes asked him as he approached.

‘Doctor! What’s wrong?’ Dr Ena arrived, panting as he replied.

‘I’m calling a meeting with commander Rion now, it’s urgent. I think its best you guys sit in as well.’ Lio spoke up and questioned.

‘Urgent? What did you guys find?’ Dr Ena’s face turned pale as he responded.

‘Thorns’.


	17. Know Thy Enemy

The squad was a little confused with Dr Ena’s sense of urgency over the research team’s new finding. Lio, however, knew exactly what he was referring to, and he was afraid because this would definitely affect their next course of action.

‘Commander Rion, apologies for the sudden summon of the council at such an ungodly hour.’ Rion gave a reassuring expression before addressing the council.

‘Not to worry Doctor, I’m sure everyone here knows that you wouldn’t do this unless absolutely necessary. So please, don’t let me hold you.’ Dr Ena gave an appreciative nod as he began speaking.

‘The research team has managed to find out many things about Zorah in just a few hours. We have collected fresh samples as hoped, and we have concluded that Zorah is indeed dying.’ The council members were now chattering amongst themselves with smiles on their faces. Dr Ena continued.

‘We have also confirmed that Zorah is heading toward the Coral Highlands, however we are still unsure of its final destination.’ Dr Ena stopped for a brief moment, leading to Rion questioning him.

‘So that’s good news, that all our suspicions were correct from the start. But I’m sensing that there’s more to this meeting than that, doctor.’ Dr Ena looked up and took a deep breath before saying.

‘The research team found thorns lodged in Zorah’s shedded rock. It’s unmistakeable.’ At this statement, the whole council turned silent, as everyone turned their gaze toward the commander, who wore a face of shock as well. Rhen elbowed Deimos and whispered.

‘Psst. Why are the senior citizens acting all funny all of a sudden?’ Deimos turned to her and shrugged his shoulders, clearly unsure as well. Deimos was about to turn to ask Lio, but he had his right palm over his forehead, as if trying to soothe a headache. Rhodes then mustered the courage to speak up.

‘Apologies for the interruption, but I speak for my squad, what lodged those thorns into Zorah? And why is it a concern?’ Dr Ena turned toward Rhodes and replied calmly.

‘My dear, the thorns belonged to an Elder Dragon. Nergigante.’ The squad now mirrored the same expression as the council the moment they heard that name. Rion then added.

‘Nergigante has never been known to travel long distances away from its territory, and so it is curious to find one here in the southern region of the island. And...’ Dr Ena then interjected.

‘Apologies for interrupting commander, but it’s actually not curious at all. You see, before the awakening of Zorah, there was no evidence of any Elder Dragons in the New World ever since the First fleet arrived. And because of that, Nergigante would logically be forced to travel beyond its territory, which actually helps to explain why you encountered one in the Wildspire Wastes about a year back.’ Dr Ena turned toward Lio now, recalling his bravely during that operation. He then continued saying, ‘But interestingly with Zorah now awaken, we have actually found traces of the Elder Dragons returning, one such as...’

‘Vaal Hazak’, Rhodes completed. The council was now in a little bit of a panic as the chattering became a little more rowdy. Rion was also a little astonished at the amount of information Dr Ena was placing on the table.

‘We believe that the Elder Dragons are beginning to resurface now that Nergigante’s focus is turned exclusively to Zorah.’ The council table were nodding, beginning to see what Dr Ena was alluding to. Rhen then spoke up ignorantly.

‘I still don’t get it, so what are you saying? The Elder Dragons are afraid of Nergi? Why? Because it’s gonna eat them or something?’ Dr Ena turned to Rhen and nodded.

‘What? You’re serious?’ Rhodes then turned to Rhen and said.

‘Nergigante preys on other Elder Dragons.’ Rhen’s face now a mix of shock and fear. She couldn’t fathom facing a creature that the Elder Dragons themselves feared. Rion was stroking his chin, internalising Dr Ena’s input about the sequence of events. After a brief moment of silence, Rion spoke up.

‘So if I may summarise what Dr Ena has shared. We know where Zorah is headed to next but not its final destination. We also know that he is accompanied by Nergigante, which will prove a challenge to deal with. Furthermore, all the known regions have potentially become more dangerous due to the reappearance of the Elders.’ Dr Ena nodded at the commander’s efficient summary of the meeting. Rion now turned to look round the table.

‘So does anyone have any suggestions for our next step?’ At this, Rhen spoke up.

‘Basically, wherever Zorah goes, we go the opposite direction.’ Dr Ena looked at her, at first judgementally, then perked his eyebrows and responded.

‘Technically, we no longer require any fresh samples from it so studying his movements from afar will suffice, so Rhen’s suggestion is valid. And since we know Zorah is headed for the highlands, that would be a good place to continue tracking Zorah.’ The council seemed to be in agreement as Dr Ena said this. Eros then asked innocently.

‘So if we cannot follow Zorah directly to the highlands, then how are we going to get there then?’ The table turned to look at Eros, who asked a seemingly obvious, and yet difficult question as the council fell silent, unable to answer his simple query.

‘That... is a good question actually. Anyone?’ Rion responded.

‘We may have no choice but to go around, through the Wildspire Waste’, Lio said. The council was now in deliberation with this plan, it was a very inefficient route, albeit safer one. Rion had second thoughts as well, because the amount of travelling together with the large amounts of logistics would make for a tiresome and slow journey through the Wastes. Once again, he was tempted to agree with his son, but the burdens of the leader forced him to hold back his decision until everyone was on the same page. Rion then challenged his son’s idea.

‘We cannot afford to travel with this amount of logistics and hope to reach the highlands in time taking that route. Furthermore, the supplies we gathered were only enough for a week in the Ancient Forest.’ Lio then rebutted.

‘I know that route is much longer and might be inefficient. But considering that we no longer require the studying of Zorah’s samples, we will not need the full research team. I was thinking that maybe we could bring just a small team, travel light, since this expedition requires speed.’ Lio paused to let this information sink in before continuing. ‘If we are quick, I believe we can reach the highlands shortly after Zorah does, allowing us track it visually. While the rest of the team can return to Astera.’ Rion was convinced by Lio’s response, but added one more question.

‘And who exactly will you be bringing on this expedition?’

‘My squad, together with a small research team. Anyone outside of this will have to request permission from you first.’ Lio replied. Dr Ena then spoke up.

‘I will come with you, in case you are in need of information, I should suffice.’

‘And so will I’, Rion added. ‘Everyone else will return to Astera, and Phil will take charge while I’m away.’ Phil nodded as he plastered a playful smirk over his face. As soon as the council was in agreement, Rion adjourned the meeting. As the council members left the tent, the squad, Dr Ena and Rion were the only ones that remained. This sparked a separate conversation to begin.

‘So how do we plan to deal with Nergigante?’ Rion asked. The rest of them, except Dr Ena, were shocked to hear his question, thinking the whole point of the meeting previously was to avoid confrontation with the beast. Everyone remained silent, so Rion had to clarify himself.

‘Nergigante has been in our way for a very long time, forcing our hand and causing us to sacrifice a lot. While I despise the idea of fighting the thing head-on, I will not be unprepared for it again.’ Rhodes clarified after hearing the commander’s words.

‘Again, sir? You mean you’ve encountered Nergigante before?’ Rion turned toward Lio, who was now looking away, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

‘Yes, Lio and I encountered Nergigante in the Wildspire Waste about a year back. It was not pleasant. Many of our camps are now out of control due to fear of encountering it. Ever since its behaviour had been so erratic, it was a pain to manage our borders, and now with Zorah, things may become even more complicated. I need to prepare all of you for the worst.’ Rion said this as he looked at the squad. He paused for a brief moment before adding on. ‘There’s no shame in pulling out, this is not something I can demand of you.’ Rion allowed the squad to think about it. Deimos was the first to speak up.

‘Wherever Lio goes, I’ll go.’ He looked at Rion as he said this, before turning to look at Lio, flashing him a smile. Eros and Rhodes then followed shortly after.

‘Our place is with the squad. We stick together.’ Rhen then rolled her eyes and said.

‘Yeah fine whatever.’ The squad turned to her and frowned at her response. Rion was glad and worried at the same time, risking not only the best hunters of the Fifth fleet but also putting his only son in danger. He knew what had to be done, and yet that didn’t help make that decision any easier. Despite this, he was glad to see the squad so united in everything they did, and he couldn’t have hoped for a better squad to go along with him on this mission. Eros then added a little excitement to the atmosphere.

‘So what’s the Wildspire Wastes like?’

‘It’s a barren wasteland. A desert.’ Lio replied.

‘Ohh it might be barren, but it’s hardly a wasteland.’ Dr Ena corrected. ‘That region is teaming with life, if you know where to look. While it does reflect the terrain of a desert, it’s more colourful than you might think.’

‘So what kind of creatures live there?’ Rhodes adding on to the curiosity.

‘Only the toughest, young lady. You see, the Wildspire Wastes provides very little to its inhabitants, and demands the survival of only the fittest and the most adaptable. Like the Barroth, a creature that loves moisture is able to thrive in that terrain, because it has adapted to covering itself in mud instead of water, which not only keeps it cool but also hydrated and protected. It’s quite amazing.’ Dr Ena’s tone then began to dampen as he began introducing another notorious creature. ‘Well but not all the creatures there are friendly, not even the herbivores. The Diablos, for example, is extremely territorial. They have adapted to living under ground, protected from the scorching heat on the surface, and so they are extremely proficient diggers. A skill that has given them the ability to not only hide but also give them an offensive advantage against their adversaries.’ Deimos and Lio were familiar with all of this information since they have fought a Diablos before. Hell, most of what Dr Ena is saying was reported to him by Lio himself.

‘But please bear in mind that we are not there for an excursion, we are merely passing through. So do not assume that we will be detouring and making multiple stops to meet and greet the wildlife there.’ Rion reminded the two excitable parties of the squad.

‘So any scary things there like another mushroom monster, perhaps?’ Rhen asked.

‘No, no mushroom monsters that I’m aware of fortunately.’ Dr Ena replied seriously. ‘But I am afraid of the possibility of bumping into a certain Elder Dragon though.’

‘Isn’t the whole point of going to the Wildspire Waste to avoid confrontation with Nergigante? Even if we do bump into it, the chances are...’ Dr Ena then interrupted Eros saying.

‘No, I’m not referring to Nergigante. Remember we were discussing the awakening and reappearing of the Elder Dragons across the different regions? Well I’m not particularly fond of the Elder Dragon that resides in the Wastes.’ Rion’s eyebrows perked as Dr Ena mentioned his point, reminding him that a member of their council has faced this beast before.

‘Teostra’, Rion muttered. Dr Ena nodded to Rion’s response.

‘Teostra is an Elder Dragon that controls the element of fire. It absorbs the heat from the environment and stores its energy within its body, which maintains a high enough body temperature to heat up its scales, forming a dangerously hot barrier around it. This makes the Wildspire Waste a fitting environment for it to thrive in. It is known to be able to combust the air around it at will, provided it is dry enough. The red lion-type Elder Dragon’s fire is only matched by its ferocity.’ Once again, while Lio and Rhen’s face was plastered with a worrisome look, the rest of the squad were getting excited at the sound of another awesome beast of an Elder Dragon. Rhodes couldn’t contain her excitement as she exclaimed.

‘I’ve heard that Elder Dragons can control the elements around them at will, but I never really understood them thoroughly, and now that I’m hearing all of this, it really piques my curiosity.’ Rion then looked at Dr Ena and said.

‘Maybe you should give our squad a little lesson on Elder Dragons, doctor?’ Dr Ena obliged, sitting them back down on the table and beginning with what he knew.

‘The Elder Dragons were the first creatures to set foot into our world. As you know, when the world was first created, conditions were harsh. Most creatures survived by adapting to their environment, but Elder Dragons found a way to make that environment, suit them instead. It was truly an unexpected phenomenon, but they managed to do it. So by creating these environments, they managed to live unnaturally long lives.’ Dr Ena paused a moment, seeing that what he just said was new information for the group, observing their stunned expressions. He continued.

‘So we know some Elder Dragons along with the element they control. For example, Teostra controls fire, as we have just dicussed. We have records of an Elder Dragon called Kushala Daora as well.’ Deimos then interrupted saying.

‘The Dragon of Steel?’ Dr Ena nodded at him, to which Rhen asked.

‘So it controls metal?’

‘No, it controls the wind. The dragon itself has scales made of metal.’ Dr Ena corrected. Rhen had a look of disgust on her face, seeing clearly that she had no intention of fighting a beast that can control the very thing that kept her agile in the air. Dr Ena now turned to Rhodes as he continued.

‘And of course, we also have Vaal Hazak, who controls the element of decay. A vital process of nature that it has so conveniently spared itself from.’ Eros now threw Dr Ena an intriguing question.

‘And what about Nergigante? What element does it control?’ Dr Ena smiled at Eros’ question.

‘That’s a question that many scholars have still been debating. While it has no direct influence on any scientific element known to science, its influence and control in nature might be a little less... Obvious.’ The group now expectedly threw puzzled looks around the room. ‘Nature always finds a way to achieve balance, that is its one and only driving force. And seeing that Elder Dragons are able to manipulate the environments around them unnaturally, it only makes sense that nature created something to keep these beings in check. And most scholars, including myself, believe that Nergigante is that balancing element.’ Dr Ena now turned to Eros and said. ‘So answering your question, we believe that the element Nergigante controls is balance itself. For nature has equipped it with the ability to hunt down its fellow Elders.’ The thought was both awesome and terrifying at the same time. Rhen then recalled Dr Ena calling Zorah Magdaros a primordial Elder Dragon, and she still didn’t quite understand, so she enquired about that.

‘Ohh yes, all of you are familiar with the Tale of the Five yes?’ Everyone in the room nodded except Rhen. Dr Ena rolled his eyes and repeated the story for Rhen’s sake.

‘Once there was a world without time, it had nothing but white light, with the world inhabited by people and five dragons; the primordial dragons. Because this world was timeless, it had no beginning and no end, nothing was lost, and yet nothing was ever gained. One day, the people grew curious, and so they approached the dragons and asked, but got no answer. Instead, the dragons responded by opening their mouths where water gushed out, creating the sky and the oceans, as they swam away, leaving the people. The Five began transforming into an island, with each dragon taking a specific form.

One dragon sank into the sea and became the land.

One dragon lifted its gaze to the sky and became the mountains.

One dragon stooped low and became the lakes, and scattered its scales to create rain.

One dragon fell into a deep slumber and became the forests.

The final dragon climbed far into the sky to become a star of sapphire blue, shining brightly above the island.

The people could not understand why this had happened, so they sent a young youth to sail to the Island of the Five to seek an answer from them. When he returned, he said he spoke to the dragons but once again did not get a worded response. Instead, they gave him five dragon scales, one from each dragon, which he passed to the people. They left their world and using the scales, began creating their own lands, their own mountains, their own lakes, and their own forests. They even created a bright moon, so that the sapphire star would not shine alone in the sky. The lands created grew large enough to obscure the sun, creating day and night. The mountains, lakes and forests breathed together, creating the seasons. The moon casted it’s light onto the ocean and waves were created. And thus, time too was born. Swept up in the currents of time, the people came to know death, but in that, they had discovered life.’

Deimos loved this story, though he had never heard it being told in such a charismatic manner. It was this story that first gave him the feeling of awe and appreciation toward nature. Even though some accused the story of being nothing more than a myth, Deimos didn’t care about its authenticity, for the real crux of the story was very real and apparent in nature now as they know it. Being reminded of the scholar’s suspicions that Zorah was one of the Five sent chills down Deimos’ spine.

‘So Zorah is the one that sank to the bottom of the sea?’ Rhodes asked.

‘That’s what we believe, yes. His physiology is nothing like we’ve ever seen before and seeing that we have no records of any such creature, it has led us to believe that this gigantic beast could very likely be that primordial Elder Dragon. Furthermore, Elder Dragons are known to manipulate the conditions around them, but Zorah has proven to be able to create its own world quite literally. The sheer size of the creature is a spectacle on its own. And not to mention the mountain-like structures on its back, you should’ve seen the expression on our faces when we first encountered the monster.’ Dr Ena replied.

‘And you mentioned that when creatures are dying, they start heading to the Rotten Vale right?’ Dr Ena nodded as Rhodes asked.

‘So then why do you not think Zorah is doing the same thing?’ Rion then answered.

‘We don’t believe it impossible, we just think it unlikely. While all the evidence aligns with that theory so far; with the Rotten Vale located directly below the Coral Highlands and Zorah heading in that general direction, there’s one piece of information that we cannot ignore.’

‘And what is that?’ Deimos asked.

‘Zorah is not made of flesh. It would do a very poor job in decaying down in the Rotten Vale, scientifically speaking.’ Rion explained.

‘So then where is it goi-... Ohh... I see why you guys are struggling to answer that question now...’ Rhen stopped herself as she asked the question. ‘Stupid pebble, can’t even die properly.’ Rhen complained after she realised the amount of headache this whole case was bringing unto everyone. It was getting late, and Rion decided to dismiss the group so they could get some rest, Eros and Lio were still rather weak from their encounter with Yian Garuga and had not gotten quite enough time to rest. There were two tents that were pitched for the squad, so Rhodes entered one of the tents exhausted, with the four remaining squad mates left standing outside.

‘Good night boys. See you tomorrow.’ Rhen said as she followed Rhodes into the tent. The three guys were now left standing outside the other vacant tent, as Lio strolled in. Deimos turned to Eros and asked.

‘You need help?’ Eros looked at him and smiled saying.

‘Well I don’t need it, but I would love to have it!’ Deimos rolled his eyes before returning the smile as he went over and supported him under his right arm, walking him in. As they entered, they found that the tent only had two simple beds by each side, with a hard wooden floor and a small table in the middle. Deimos saw Lio placing some cloths on the floor before taking a spare towel and wrapping it into a makeshift pillow. Deimos placed Eros down on the left side bed, before heading over to Lio.

‘Thanks’, Deimos said to Lio.

‘For?’ Lio asked.

‘For getting my bed ready.’ Lio then frowned at Deimos and replied.

‘This isn’t your bed...’ Deimos then returned the frown as he said.

‘You don’t think I’m going to allow you to sleep on the floor do you?’ Lio then raised his left eyebrow while wearing a cheeky smile and replied.

‘Why? What are you gonna do about it tiger?’ Deimos then pushed Lio onto the other bed, forcing him to lie down there, but as Lio was toppling over he grabbed onto Deimos’ right arm, causing him to fall on top of Lio.

‘Arghh!’ Lio squirmed as this heavy weight came crashing down on his weakened body.

‘What on earth are you...’ Deimos was asking as he pushed himself up, and now looking at Lio staring right back at him, causing Deimos to freeze in place. Lio was about to place his hands instinctively on Deimos’ waist but was conscious that they were not alone. It was not for his sake, but rather for the other two men that were present in the tent. So he just lay there smiling and looking into Deimos’ eyes. Deimos reminded himself that they were not alone too, so he pushed himself up quickly and concluding their argument.

‘I’m sleeping on the floor, don’t make me tie you to the bed.’ Deimos demanded, as Lio stared at him and teased him saying softly.

‘I’m almost tempted to let you...’ This cause Deimos to blush a little as he turned away from Lio and looked at Eros. Eros’ face was just that of an innocent child, looking at the way the two interacted as if it was something he had never seen before. There was no anger, no jealousy, no happiness, no sadness, just a blank expression. Deimos went over to Eros and asked him.

‘You ok?’ Eros then turned to look at Deimos and returned the question.

‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that question? Are the two of you ok?’ Deimos was a little apprehensive talking about this in front of both the guys, but he decided it was best if Eros knew about them. Lio laid down and began falling asleep, giving the two their time alone. Deimos now turned to Eros and knelt down beside his bed holding his hand.

‘Listen, uhh... Lio and I...’ Deimos had what he wanted to say clearly imprinted in his mind, and yet he couldn’t say it. The words were stuck on the tip of his tongue. Eros still had the puzzled expression across his face, non-judgemental and pure. Deimos then mustered the courage to come clean with him.

‘Lio and I are seeing each other. We’re trying things out and seeing where it goes...’ Deimos’ heart skip a beat when he said those words, now slapping himself internally for picking the worst possible time to tell Eros something that might cause him emotional pain when he was hurting physically. To his surprise, Eros’ face now lit up as a smile grew on his face.

‘Really? I’m so happy for you guys!’ Eros said as he threw himself onto Deimos, colliding their chests against one another, the impact sending a surge of pain through Eros’ body.

‘Urgghh!’

‘Are you alright?!’ Deimos supported Eros’ body with his hands on his shoulders, Eros forcing a smile as he continued looking at him. Deimos now placed his right hand over Eros’ left cheek as he returned the smile and said.

‘Thank you’. Deimos then helped Eros into bed in a comfortable position, and waited for him to dose off before he lay down on his own bed with Phobos next to him, resting his head on Deimos’ left chest. His mind wandered as he laid in bed, about Eros, about Lio, Rhen, Rhodes, this whole expedition, the Elder Dragons, it was a lot to take in. But at least his heart was lighter, much lighter, after being able to tell Eros about Lio and him, he felt like a weight over his shoulders had been lifted. He didn’t like keeping secrets from his friends and loved ones, so he was happy that he could come clean with them. Still, he wanted to keep the physical contact with Lio to a bare minimum in front of Eros, for sensitivity sake.

As Deimos’ mind was wandering, so was Lio’s. He lay there trying to sleep, but couldn’t stop thinking about Deimos. Every day, Deimos showed Lio a part of him that made Lio love him more. It was a difficult feeling to explain with words, but perhaps that was because it was never meant to be expressed in such a way. As Lio’s mind revelled at the thought, so did his body. He felt his heart rate increase, his body temperature rise, and eventually, so did his groin, awakening his member. He had always found Deimos physically attractive, and had to control the urge of being intimate with him on countless occasions, a choice that he had never regretted, but was becoming increasingly difficult. Lio looked down and saw the prominent bulge in his crotch as he used his right hand to grab the bulge, giving it a tight and sudden squeeze, allowing himself a shot of dopamine. It felt good, as the wave of pleasure surged all the way up his body, causing a smile to appear on his face. He immediately let go of his bulge, as he heart began aching. While his body and soul were very keen on taking Deimos, his heart had its reservations. All of this was a risk, relationships are a risk, and even love is a risk. They offer pleasure and joy, but in return you inevitably have to endure the torment of losing them. It was a simple yet torturous equation. Lio had known this from a very young age, and was very mature about it, but it was one thing to know about it, and something quite different to deal with. And having experienced it once, he was unsure if he could survive it a second time. With all the plans around Zorah being increasingly more treacherous, he not only feared for the safety of his father, but for everyone in the squad as well, especially Deimos. It had only been a few years after the incident, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready. Lio then decided to turn his head to the right, looking at Deimos lying on the floor, looking up, still deep in his own thoughts. Deimos didn’t notice Lio staring, so he didn’t flinch. As Lio continued staring at Deimos, he was reminded visually of why he even agreed to get together with this man. Lio’s eyelids began to sink, as his body demanded rest after a tiresome day, causing his eyes to shut and dosing off into the night.

Am I really happy for Deimos? Was I being honest with both him and myself? Eros too, was deep in thought as he was coming to terms with this new revelation about the two. He was genuinely happy, seeing Deimos contented was the best feeling he ever felt, although he could not ignore the bitter aftertaste of the fact that that happiness did not involve him. He knew it was a silly thought to have, but his insecurities gripped him hard especially during times like these. Everyone says things they don’t mean or mean half-heartedly, its normal isn’t it? Eros thought. It was Eros’ turn now to turn his head to the left to look at Deimos, who was still awake, staring upward. Once again, not realising that someone was staring at him. Eros was taken aback by Deimos, he was reminded of the moment when he first saw him back in the Old World. Such a handsome, buff and charming, confident young man, overflowing with testosterone, causing Eros to lose his mind every time he laid eyes on him. Deimos’ sexually attractive physique was causing a bulge to form in Eros groin, as he groped it with his left hand, sending a pulse of familiar pleasure up his spine. He didn’t entertain it though, especially after the long exhausting day, he didn’t have much energy left to pleasure himself, and he was sure as hell not going to do it while in the same room as two other men. Deimos stole his heart, and that was still happening till this very day. Eros could be himself around Deimos, he felt so comfortable around him, and that feeling was elevated tenfold during their sex, ohh yes, their intimacy literally brought Eros over the moon. But it was precisely because he knew how it felt like to be with Deimos, that he decided to let him go, knowing that that feeling wasn’t mutual. Not the romantic feeling, but rather the fact that Deimos felt he couldn’t be himself around Eros if they were romantically involved. The knowledge that Deimos was happy was enough to overwhelm the sharp pain of not being able to spend his life together with him as a lover. He has been asking himself what the meaning of love truly was, and what it was meant to feel like. He didn’t know for sure, and perhaps he will never know, but Eros was contented with what he had done with what was presented to him, and for now, that is enough.


	18. Old Habits Die Hard

The Wildspire Waste was located east of the island. It was surrounded by smaller islands which shielded it from the moist sea breeze. North from it, towering mountains and hills encapsulated the Coral Highlands, away from the rest of the New World. This isolated geographical placement of the Waste was what caused it to become a dry terrain. Dry, but hardly lifeless, for many creatures have managed to make their home there. The unforgiving environment ensured that only the toughest of creatures were able to survive there, a true test of one’s adaptive capabilities. The location of the Waste made it possible for the squad to head back to Astera to resupply before heading out toward their destination as it was along the way. Lio was in Rion’s tent back in Astera, seeing him reach for his blunt weapon, resting at the corner of the room. It had been a long time since Rion had fought in any kind of battle or hunt, considering a leader had more important responsibilities to attend to. But back in the day, he was notorious for his skill with the hammer. While the weapon lay untouched for many years, it was still in pristine condition, speaking volumes of the discipline and respect its owner had for it. Lio remembered going for hunts with his father back in the Old World, it was something he looked forward to, but ever since he became commander, it inevitably felt like the time they spent together was being taken away by their individual duties.

‘You know you don’t have to come along. Astera needs its leader.’ Lio said to his father, with his back turned toward Lio. Rion smiled and replied.

‘Of course I do.’ Rion turned his body and was now facing Lio. ‘Astera’s safety won’t matter if Zorah isn’t dealt with.’

‘You don’t trust us?’ Lio was a little confused by Rion’s response.

‘It’s not about trust, it’s about being where I’m needed most.’ Rion said confidently. Lio was thoroughly lost at his father’s words, trying to make sense of it on his own. Rion was amused at his son’s puzzled look that he let out a soft chuckle, and walked up to Lio, placing his right hand over his shoulder.

‘You’ll understand when you lead. Besides, it’s been awhile since we’ve hunted together yeah?’ Lio’s eyes lit up like a child as he heard those words. He always admired his father as a leader and a role model, but very few saw Rion as a soft-hearted and generous man privately, which Lio appreciated even more and felt privileged to witness. Everyone gathered their essentials, and rendezvoused at the east exit of Astera, preparing for their journey toward the Wastes. It was going to be a long journey on foot, and Eros was still recovering, so the squad had to account for longer time estimations. Lio claimed that he was good as new, but the Yian Garuga venom does take awhile to fully recover from. Deimos and Lio offered to carry the heavy loads such as the tentage, while Rhen and Rhodes managed the research equipment. While burdened with much logistics, the hunters always made sure their hands were kept free at all times.

‘So Kushala lives in the Ancient Forest, Teostra lives in the Wildspire Waste, Vaal Hazak lives in the Rotten Vale, who lives in the Coral Highlands? Do any Elder Dragons reside there?’ Eros asked while walking beside Dr Ena.

‘Well, I have never actually seen one before, but it is said that an Elder Dragon that controls the weather lives in the Highlands, due to the close proximity to the sky.’ Eros’ eyes were beaming with excitement as he heard this. Rhodes then continued.

‘Are you referring to Kirin? The Elder Dragon that controls lightning?’ Eros’ eyes were now a good mix of excitement and terror. Dr Ena nodded at Rhodes when he heard this.

‘That’s so cool! Imagine lightning raining down from the sky at will, and its wings outstretched like a...’ Eros when interrupted by Rhodes as she clarified.

‘Actually uhh... Kirin doesn’t have wings.’

‘What? A dragon with no wings?’ Eros asked with a disappointed look on his face.

‘Yeah. The Kirin looks more like a... Unicorn.’ Eros placed his hand over his mouth, preventing a laugh from escaping his lips.

‘Haha, yeah it’s quite stupid.’ Rhodes brushed it off. ‘I guess the definition of an Elder Dragon focuses more on the ‘Elder’, and less on the ‘Dragon’.’ The two laughed for a moment, until they noticed Dr Ena still deep in thought. Rhodes stopped laughing and curiously questioned the doctor.

‘What is it doctor?’

‘I was just thinking about what you just said, and realised that something doesn’t fit. It is curious as to why Kirin is given that title without actually being a dragon. It does make one wonder if what you said about the focus of the term ‘Elder Dragons’ is true.’ Dr Ena was now looking at Rhen, but before he could say anything, Rhodes beat him to it saying.

‘Ohh Rhen wouldn’t know anything, she hates stuff like this.’ But Dr Ena was adamant about confronting Rhen, as he asked. ‘Kirin was first sighted in the eastern part of the Old World, a rather tropical region of that island. Rhen, would you happen to know anything about the origins of this beast?’ Rhen turned to look at the three curious squad mates.

‘To better understand why the beast was named as such, you need to first know its real name.’ The three exchanged puzzled looks, before turning back to her and prompted her for Kirin’s supposed real name.

‘This Elder Dragon was first called Qilin. It was named after a mythical beast that was associated with divinity, greatness and purity. The beast, as you said, also had control over lightning, which is the element of the heavens. So it was fitting for the beast to be named as such. So what exactly is the Qilin? What did it look like?’ Rhen held back the answer, seeing that the three were totally hooked on her story. Rhodes then impatiently shouted at her.

‘Well? Don’t stop there! Tell us!’

‘The Qilin happens to be classified as a dragon with a horse body. And so you can now appreciate why with the horned head and a horse body, many cultures began labelling the beast as a unicorn rather than a dragon. But in actual fact, the Qilin, or Kirin, is more dragon than you realise.’ Rhen now turned to look at Eros. ‘And yes, unfortunately, Qilin had no wings either. So it is a fitting name for Kirin.’ The three now turned to each other, totally amazed at the story, fully appreciating how the beast got its name. It was midday now, the team had been walking for a few hours, and Rion suggested that they take a break. They were at a point where they could see the forest starting to fade and the desert beginning to creep in. The grass was turning brown, the soil was getting drier, and the dense forest landscape was slowly loosening up into a wide open horizontal view. Even the air was thinning, making each breath less heavy.

‘Your ribs feeling better lover boy?’ Rhen shouldered Eros’ arm as she asked.

‘Yeah, they feel much better. Still a little sore though.’ Eros said while smiling at Rhen. Deimos was seated next to Lio, but faced away from him and was looking at Eros. The smile on Eros’ face made him replicate it on his face as well, this caused Lio to nudge Deimos on his left shoulder.

‘Hmm...?’ Deimos now turned to look at Lio. Lio just sat there smiling at Deimos.

‘What?’ Deimos tried to force an explanation from Lio.

‘Nothing. Just wondering what you’re smiling at.’ Deimos felt a wave of embarrassment course through him as when he heard that. He looked away and replied.

‘Ohh, well... I just feel really at ease when I see Eros happy, that’s all.’ Lio’s smile didn’t falter as he replied.

‘He’s lucky to have someone like you. And I’m even luckier...’ Deimos then turned back to Lio, glad to know that he didn’t misunderstand. Lio’s body was urging him to lean in for a kiss, but his conscious mind forced him back, seeing that it was inappropriate. Deimos, however, lacked the control, as he began drawing closer to Lio. Lio then placed his right arm on Deimos’ left shoulder, gently resisting his advance. Deimos initially had a look of distain on his face, but it slowly faded away as he saw Lio’s gentle smile, realising what he was doing. He placed his right hand over Lio’s hand, grabbing it tightly and giving it a squeeze. While the two love birds were seated at the corner facing each other, Rhen, Rhodes and Eros were having a little conversation about Eros’ love life.

‘So... How is the situation between Deimos and you?’ Rhodes asked seriously.

‘Yeah! How’s lover boy and toadstool brain getting up?’ Rhen repeated. Eros was a little shocked at how little the two knew. He then realised that they have not really been updating them much about what happened between them. He was also hesitant and unsure about how much he could, or should share with them. He felt vulnerable, and knew that the girls had a way of digging for information.

‘Uhh well...’ Eros’ nervousness clearly showing in his response. Rhen and Rhodes turned to each other and rolling their eyes.

‘It’s ok, we can keep a secret. Now, spit it out!’ Rhen prompted. Eros let out a loud sigh, as he said.

‘Ok fine. Well Deimos and I kinda... Had...’

‘A fight?’ Rhodes interrupted.

‘A baby?’ Rhen followed shortly after. Rhodes turning to her and frowning.

‘Quite close Rhen, we had sex.’ Rhodes’ eyes widened in shock, while Rhen’s face was plastered with disappointment. Rhodes’ look of shock was slowly turning into excitement as she began hitting Rhen’s right arm.

‘That was quick! So how are things between you guys?’ Rhodes getting ahead of herself.

‘Well that’s the thing... We’re not really a couple...’ Eros replied. Rhen and Rhodes were now thoroughly confused.

‘The sex was quite impulsive. And while it was great, it didn’t really mean anything. Don’t worry, Deimos and I spoke about it, and it was all good.’ Eros explained.

‘Wait so it was over before it even began?’ Rhodes asked.

‘He broke up with you immediately after he made up with you?’ Rhen asked shortly after. Eros gave an unconvincing nod to both of them, before quickly opening his mouth to explain.

‘Well when you guys say it like that, it sounds terrible, but it really wasn’t!’ Eros tried hard to find the right words before continuing. ‘Deimos just felt that our relationship was more meaningful platonically. That’s it, and I kinda agreed with him.’ The two girls were looking at each other sceptically before shaking their heads and saying to each other in unison.

‘Boys...’

Eros then continued unintentionally, ‘But everything’s good now that he’s trying things out with Lio, and...’ the two ladies now had their jaws hanging when they heard this. Rhen placing her hand over Eros’ mouth as she repeated.

‘Lio and Deimos are...?’ Rhen’s enlarged eyes locked onto Eros’ widened eyes as he realised what had just exited his mouth. Rhen now looked straight at Deimos, whose back was facing her, before she shouted.

‘SLUT!’ Rhen stood up but before she could start walking over to Deimos and Lio, Eros grabbed her arm saying.

‘What are you doing?! He’s not a slut!’ Eros pulled her back down, sitting her down. Rhen was now looking at a very rare sight; an agitated Eros.

‘I told you two already! Deimos and I were never a thing, we talked things out, and there’s no bad blood between us. He can see whoever he wants, he’s not cheating on anyone! And he’s definitely not a... slut...’ Eros’ voice broke down as he said that word. The two ladies have never seen Eros so protective before, so they decided to take his word for it and dropped the matter. Rion signalled for the team to continue their journey, as everyone picked up their equipment, and resumed heading toward the desert. It was nearly sunset, as the team crossed over a small hill, which greeted them with a view of brown. It was truly a desert wonderland, for while there was a sea of brown sand, it was teaming with other colours too. There were herds of Apceros, with their deep brown turtle shells and spiked tails swaying in the desert winds, surrounded by green cacti that had bright purple flowers blooming atop them. The greenery was also contributed by the deep green tint of the Kelbi fur, with their beige coloured horns breaking their silhouettes. The brown scenery was distorted by a contrasting region that was coloured black with mud. These regions were located at the edges of the region, where residual moisture was found, mixed with the rough sand to form a thick cooling mud, for creatures to relief some of this unforgiving heat. The middle of the desert was rocky, and crevices could be seen, large enough for the team to fit in, and probably find suitable campsites, they thought. However, Rion suggested they set up camp at the edge of the region, instead of traversing it at night. Deimos and Lio set up three tents at a secluded area southwest of the region, Rion and Dr Ena shared one tent, Rhen and Rhodes shared one, and the remaining three guys took the last one.

‘I want Phobos to bunk in with us!’ Rhen said to Deimos. Deimos turned to look at Phobos on his shoulder, to see him shaking his head violently in disagreement. He figured that their tent was already packed with three men, and it would be good to let the girls have more time with that feline. So he signalled Phobos to go over, to which he reluctantly jumped off Deimos’ shoulder and on the floor, following the girls into their tent.

‘Why don’t you settle in and let me finish up.’ Deimos said to Lio, taking the rope from him and finishing up the knot. Lio smiled at him, placing his hand on Deimos’ cheek before standing up and heading into the tent, where Eros was already in. Deimos finished setting up the tents, and continued setting up other areas of the camp like making a fire. In the tent, Lio entered and saw Eros trying to get into a comfortable position on his bed, so he went over to help him. Lio placed his hands on Eros’ waist and pushed him up so that he was sitting up slightly. His waist was a not as broad as Deimos’ causing Lio to misjudge the amount of force he used. It was no less muscular, however. Lio was now uncomfortably close to Eros’ face, and was greeted by a sweet smile as he looked up.

‘Thanks!’ Eros replied innocently. Lio stared at Eros for a brief moment, finally appreciating what Deimos meant when he spoke of Eros’ smile. There was something about it, something innocent and pure that drove a wave of soothing energy through the body when greeted with such an expression. It was something not easily described with words, and more easily experienced. Lio quickly regained awareness of the current situation, pulling himself away from Eros’ face as he replied.

‘No problem. I broke my ribs before, not a fun experience, so sitting like this should relief some of the discomfort.’ Eros continued smiling as he asked.

‘Ohh you broke your ribs before? How did that happen?’

‘It was quite awhile ago, back in the Old World, during my first hunt against a Kulu-Ya-Ku. It broke two of my ribs.’ Eros gave a disconcerted look before replying.

‘A Kulu broke two of your ribs?’ Lio laughed, as he replied.

‘It was precisely because I underestimated the creature that caused me my injuries in the first place. Those chickens can deliver quite a nasty kick.’ Lio explained as he took Eros’ left hand and placed it at the right side of his ribcage, pushing it in. It made a slightly greater depression than the left side. While Eros was intrigued by the story, the addition of physical contact with another male’s body was causing his heart to race. And Lio had a ripped body, the contact with the rib inevitably allowed him the pleasure to feel his stiff upper abs and muscular side. His skin was slightly rougher than that of Deimos, but still pleasurable to the touch. Eros then reluctantly and consciously pulled his hand back, refusing more physical contact from Lio. Lio then said with a worried look on his face.

‘Ohh, I’m sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable.’

‘It’s not you, it’s me. But yeah, I would prefer it if we kept our physical contact to a minimum. Especially since you and Deimos are...’ Lio’s pupils dilated as he heard this. He was fine with Eros knowing, but he just didn’t expect Deimos to tell him so soon. Lio’s face was turning more worried as Eros’ pleasant smile reappeared, giving him a little comfort.

‘It’s alright, I’m happy for you two. I love seeing Deimos happy, and he seems to enjoy your company. He looks so relaxed around you as well. You are able to give him something I cannot.’ Lio looked up at Eros and replied.

‘And your smile is not something I can give to him either.’ Eros looked surprised and asked.

‘My smile? What do you mean?’

‘He loves watching you smile. He says there’s something about it that melts his heart and makes him feel at ease. At first, I too didn’t really understand what he meant, but now that I see it up close for myself, I’m beginning to understand why. You do have a wonderful smile.’ Lio explained. Eros was deeply flattered by this, to be complimented so directly was not something he received often. And by Deimos himself, it was ecstatic. Eros then looked up to Lio, with his smile still present.

‘Take care of him for me?’ Lio smiled back, with his eyes watering ever so slightly.

‘Of course.’

Deimos was finishing up the setting up of the camp, as Rhen exited the tent and walked up to him, pushing him from the back quite forcefully.

‘What th-...’ Deimos turned around quickly, and a look of disappointment emerged from his face as soon as he saw Rhen standing behind him. He quickly turned back around to continue what he was doing.

‘So you and Lio... Who would’ve thought...’ Rhen said casually as she squatted down to help start the fire. Deimos turned to her with a shocked look across his face as he replied.

‘How did yo-...’

‘Your ex-boyfriend told us, you whore!’ Deimos frowned at Rhen and squatted next to her.

‘My ex? Told us? Whore? Why am I... What...?’ Deimos was thoroughly confused as Rhen turned to him and gave him a gentle slap across his left cheek.

‘Oww! What was that for...?’ Deimos now rubbing his harassed cheek.

‘That was for lover boy! You’re a mess you know that? And people have to pay the price for your stupidity? You do realise that if Eros wasn’t as nice a person as he is you would be waist down in Barroth shit by now.’ Rhen raised her voice a little, hoping to knock some sense into Deimos. He found truth in Rhen’s words, so instead of retaliating, he responded.

‘Yeah, tell me about it.’

Rhen was expecting a heated argument, but was in some sense, disappointed. So she prompted.

‘So? What happened, gigolo?’ Deimos managed to start a fire, and began staring at the crackling flame grow as it consumed the dried wood it touched.

‘I figured that I couldn’t really be myself around Eros, which was something important to me. So while I love him, I couldn’t do it. I told him, and he said he understood, so we agreed that remaining as friends would be for the best.’ Rhen still maintained her gaze on him as she continued to probe.

‘Just like that, slut?’

‘Yeah, just like th-... What is up with all this name calling? Why am I a slut?’ Rhen perked her eyebrows and gave Deimos an unamused look.

‘He told you about our... Fucking hell...’ Deimos’ face was filled with rage as he stood up, and stormed into his tent, where Lio and Eros were. Lio was still sitting by Eros’ side when Deimos entered, and raised his voice at the injured boy.

‘Did you really have to tell everyone everything?!’ Deimos’ eyes were filled with rage. Eros was terrified as he lay in bed, Lio saw him shaking and quickly grabbed his right hand. Eros tried to respond but choked on his words. Deimos was now closing the distance between them.

‘Well? Are you not going to say anything?’ Deimos shouted down at Eros, ignoring Lio’s presence. Lio stood up and in Deimos’ face, as he said calmly.

‘Deimos, please lower your tone.’ Deimos stared at Lio with conviction as he attempted to push him aside, but Lio stood his ground, resisting him.

‘Lio, get out of the way. This doesn’t concern you.’

‘Back off’, Lio warned Deimos. Deimos looked straight into Lio’s eyes, and his rage intensified. Deimos turned to Rhen who was standing at the entrance of the tent, who had a look of disappointment on her face as well. He backed off, and stole a glance at Eros, who had begun tearing.

‘Fine’, Deimos muttered unsatisfied as he turned around and stormed off. Lio now stared at Rhen.

‘What the fuck did you say to him?’ Rhen shrugged her shoulders replying.

‘The truth’.

Lio maintained his frown, as he turned around to check on Eros, who was still shaking slightly. Lio was now kneeling down, with his left hand over Eros’ chest, feeling his fast and strong heartbeat.

‘Shh... Calm down, everything’s fine.’ Eros began shaking his head as tears started flowing, clearly unconvinced by Lio’s lie. Lio was starting to feel helpless at this point, so he turned his attention back to Rhen who was now seated at the table in the middle of the tent, with her face as nonchalant as ever.

‘What the hell happened?!’ Lio’s glare getting more intimidating.

‘I just asked him what happened between him and Eros. And it was going so well, in fact I was expecting him to blow up much sooner.’ Lio’s blood was now beginning to boil as he stood up.

‘So you were looking for trouble intentionally then. Well does all of this make you happy?’ Lio raised his voice slightly. Rhen was not shaken, instead she stood up and took a step toward Lio.

‘Listen here Simba, just because you’re his boyfriend does not mean you understand him. You still have a long way.’ Rhen was now beginning to intrude into Lio’s space, taking a step in between his feet. This forced Lio to take a step back, as Rhen advanced confidently. ‘Now I don’t expect you to appreciate my methods, but don’t you ever dare judge my intentions. We clear?’ She was now uncomfortably close to Lio’s face, staring more intently into his eyes than he ever could. Lio didn’t offer a response, but was clearly taken aback by this experience. It was ironic that while he could hold back a fully grown man like Deimos, he had difficulty handling a woman half their size. The experience intrigued and humbled him at the same time. Rhen now turned her attention to Eros, pushing Lio aside.

‘Sorry about that lover boy. Don’t worry about it, he can’t stay angry forever.’ Eros looked at her unconvinced, but her words seemed to give him a little comfort, enough for the tears to stop momentarily. She placed her hand on Eros’ left cheek, the smooth texture and soft skin calmed him down instantly. Once she saw that Eros was calmed down, she got up, and left the tent. Lio recomposed himself before returning to Eros’ side.

‘She’s right, Deimos can’t stay angry forever. Don’t worry about it.’ Eros was now looking at Lio, giving yet another unconvinced look, while shaking his head.

‘You guys misunderstand, I’m not crying or shaking because I’m afraid. I’m angry with myself for causing him pain.’ At this, Eros’ eyes began watering again.

‘I’m really useless. Can’t even be sensitive, certain things are not meant to be shared! Just because I falter and cower at more intimidating individuals, other people should not be suffering for it. Fucking...!’ Eros raised his left arm and hit the bed frame with full force, causing a bruise on his forearm. Lio quickly grabbed the arm, and rubbed the bruise gently.

‘Hey! Hurting yourself further is not going to help the situation. Calm down.’ Before Lio could say anything, Rhen re-entered the tent and shouted.

‘Wonder boy’s gone!’

Deimos felt like the universe was against him, he felt his opinions, emotions, thoughts were trivialised. He was not only frustrated, he was furious, and so he retreated to the only safe place he could reliably find; nature. He found a secluded area within the outskirts of the Wastes, where there was greenery growing out of the rocky cage, with a small opening above, revealing the navy blue night sky, littered with glittering stars. He found a rocky ledge over a small pond where he sat down dangling his feet over the water, staring at his own reflection. Tears began forming in his eyes uncontrollably.

‘Why are people so fucked up? Why am I... So fucked up? Why...?’ Deimos’ mind began flustering, a rather familiar feeling. He was now clasping his head with his hands as questions flooded his mind like it once did. It was not a place he wanted to revisit, it was tormenting and maddening. As he shut his eyes enduring the psychological pain, his tears began dripping into the pond, creating ripples and distorting the image of his own reflection. The dry cool breeze greeted him, relieving him of some body heat, calming him down slightly. He felt so tempted to go back to who he was back in the Old World, and at that point it really brought him to the edge. Was it not simpler? To shut off from the world, to live a life of cynicism, where disappointment cannot exist. The idea was more attractive than we could ever imagine. But something was resisting him from taking that dangerous leap. Memories, stories, experiences, that meant so much, would have to be thrown away. Forgotten, erased, and Deimos was not prepared to do that. Such were the troubles of the young man as he sat silently staring into his reflection in the pond. He found no answers, and was only left with questions. He was not surprised though, but at least he got what he was looking for at that moment, some peace and quie-...

‘There you are!’ Deimos looked up and saw Lio running toward him. As Lio closed the distance between them, he stretched out his arms about to embrace Deimos but Deimos got up and used his left hand to press onto Lio’s face and pushed it away. He then walked off.

‘Hey, please don’t do this. Everyone was worried when yo-...’

‘Maybe you guys should’ve thought about that before asking me to fuck off. Leave me alone.’ Deimos said as he continued walking off. Lio ran up to him, and grabbed Deimos’ left arm, causing Deimos to turn to face Lio, giving him an intimidating stare.

‘Look, I’m sorry alright? Please come back, don’t wander around on your ow-...’ Deimos jerked his arm violently away from Lio’s grip, and continued walking off. Lio was desperate at this point, and his heart was beginning to ache, seeing how hurt his partner was. He ran in front of Deimos and knelt down holding onto his waist and looking up at him. Deimos refused to look down.

‘I’m begging you, please come back. We can talk back in...’

‘Ohh now you want to talk?!’ Deimos was now looking down at the desperate Lio. Deimos bend his back to lower his head a little before he continued. ‘You had your chance. Now get out of my way!’ Deimos kicked Lio to the side as he stormed off, disappearing into the night. Lio had his knees on the ground with his arms straightened supporting his body weight. His chest started tightening, and tears began flowing. He was hurt, his heart torn to pieces, as he saw Deimos walk off. While Lio knew he deserved it, he could not anticipate the amount of torment. He pushed his upper body to perk up, while still kneeling down, and placed his right hand over his face, sobbing on his own.

Deimos did feel horrible over what he did to Lio, but his emotions were flooding his system. The guilt was enough to make him stop, however. The guilt of what, you might wonder. Well, the guilt of not fulfilling his promise to Rion; of taking care of Lio. Deimos was in a state where it took immense effort to think logically, but he tried nonetheless. He forced himself to turn around and head back to Lio, despite the great deal of anger that was still stirring within him. Deimos returned to his original resting spot to see Lio kneeling down in the same place, sobbing his heart out. Deimos’ chest tightened as well, the muscles constricted, crushing his beating heart. He walked up to an unaware Lio, as he knelt down on Lio’s right side, looking at him. Lio heard him, and so lowered his hand and turned to look at him with his eyes now thoroughly red. Lio was shaking as he said.

‘I’m... so sorry...’ He then resumed crying with his right hand over his face again. Deimos was very tempted to embrace the man, but his pride was stopping him, so he ended up just looking at Lio sobbing. Lio then tried his best to explain himself in the middle of the sobbing.

‘I... never meant... to hurt...’ but Lio couldn’t do it, falling short of completing his sentence as he continued crying. It was at this point that Deimos threw his pride away and wrapped his left arm around Lio slowly and gently, pulling Lio’s head against his chest. The warmth of Deimos’ body on his right cheek was therapeutic, but it didn’t stop the sobbing. And for Deimos, the sensation of warm tears falling on his bare skin added to the tightening of his chest, with each tear shed, a reflection of pain felt by Lio. Deimos then reached for Lio’s right hand with his own right hand and held onto it tightly. The two of them remained in this position until Lio’s sobbing subsided. Lio then attempted to speak but was quickly interrupted.

‘I...’ Deimos placed his index finger over Lio’s lips, as he shook his head, prompting him to remain silent. Lio nodded in obedience, and didn’t utter another word.


	19. Ire and Fire

‘I’ve had it with guys. I always thought they were more mature, all tough-looking and strong on the outside. But they are so useless! Bruise their emotions just a little bit, and they instantly turn into little endangered rainbow ponies that think the world owes them a living. And yet we are the ones who have pussies. I don’t get it...’ Rhen was ranting to Rhodes as they were still searching for Deimos in the eastern side from camp.

‘Cut him some slack Rhen, he’s going through a lot.’ Rhodes replied calmly. Rhen glared at her with a disgusted expression, wondering how she could be so empathetic toward the hopeless gender. They stumbled across a crossroad, where one path led toward a small, narrow canyon, while the other led to an open field with a water body flowing through it. Rhen was against splitting up, but Rhodes convinced her that finding Deimos was their priority.

‘We’ll meet back here in ten minutes. Don’t go too far.’ Rhodes nodded at Rhen’s arrangement as she looked at her walk toward the open field. Phobos decided to follow Rhodes, climbing onto her right shoulder as they headed into the dark canyon. Rhen surveyed the wide open field, and combed through every nook and cranny she could find, making sure that she was thorough. The open field led to three new areas beyond it, but she decided against going any further on her own so she decided to return to where they separated. Upon her arrival, Rhodes was nowhere to be seen, so she decided to sit by the side of the pathway to wait for her return. It was reaching about the fifteenth minute mark, and Rhen was starting to get worried when she saw that no one was emerging from the dark canyon path, but she resisted the urge to panic, as she waited for a few more minutes. During this torturous wait, her mind was clouded with what might’ve happened to her, and most of them were terrifying in nature, so much so that her instincts were already preparing her next course of action. Should I go after her? Should I head back and inform the rest? What should I do? Rhen?! Think! Rhen’s heart rate was picking up the pace exponentially as more obscure and ridiculous thoughts began flooding her mind. It had been almost ten minutes past the stipulated time, and Rhen was looking back and forth from the direction of the camp, and toward the dark canyon, wondering which path would be a wiser choice. Against her own will, she ran back toward camp.

The moment Deimos felt Lio’s breathing slow down, he helped him up and was about to head back to camp. However just before he managed to do so, he noticed a very prominent and out-of-place scratch mark on a stump sitting beside a small opening toward another area of the Waste. These scratch marks were broad and huge, unlikely to have come from any creature’s claw or fang. Furthermore, the area around the scratch mark seemed to be a darker shade than the rest of the stump, seeming to suggest that it had been introduced with immense force. Unless, of course, those were burnt marks, Deimos thought. But that was unlikely since there were very few creatures that had limbs perpetually in flames. Deimos has never seen anything like that before, and he was not keen on surprises at this point of time. Seeing that the scratch was relatively fresh, his heart rate began rising. He then disregarded the state of Lio, and pulled him up on his feet quickly, and started to take a few steps backward as he said.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ Lio’s mind was processing the unexpected tone in Deimos’ voice given the situation that he turned to examine his face. He noticed Deimos staring away from him, with his attention clearly drawn to something else. Lio tried to match his field of vision, but his worn out eyes couldn’t pick up anything significant, so he decided to break the silence he just agreed to keep.

‘What’s wrong?’ Deimos replied without looking at Lio.

‘We’re not alone.’

Rhen just made it back to camp, running straight into Rion’s tent as she said frantically.

‘Rhodes and Phobos are missing! We split up to look for Deimos but she was gone longer than our agreed time!’ Rion immediately stood up, picking up his hammer before saying to Dr Ena.

‘Stay here and make sure Eros doesn’t run off.’ He then turned to Rhen and replied,

‘Let’s go’.

Rhodes was hiding behind a large rocky pillar, with one hand covering her mouth and the other covering Phobos’ mouth, careful to not make a sound. The chipped teeth that they so ignorantly thought was food crumps, had led them into the company of a rather fiendish beast. They had not been spotted yet, but the creature already has knowledge that it was not alone. Rhodes had her back pressed against the rough rocky pillar, on the opposite side of the black brute wyvern. She was careful to be as quiet as possible not only to avoid drawing attention, but so that she could hear the creature’s wheezing, and then moving in the opposite direction of the pillar to ensure she remained invisible. A foul stench could be smelled from being in close proximity to this scavenger, the odour of rotten flesh still fresh from its blood-stained protruding teeth. The creature was originally calm in its search, but once the scent of fresh meat reached its snout, the blackish skin started to glow a devilish red as it let out a loud menacing roar. This caused Rhodes’ eardrums immense pain, causing her to respond with a high pitch scream. At this, the monster used its gargantuan body to smash through the pillar, making short work of it and revealing the intruders. Rhen and Rion had just arrived at the entrance to the dark canyon where the two first agreed to split up. When they arrived, they heard the loud roar followed by the even louder shattering of rocks. They looked at each other exchanging equally worried looks as they ran into the dark alley.

As Deimos and Lio were backing off slowly away from the mutilated stump, Deimos suddenly felt an unusual rise in the temperature at his neck area. He placed his right hand over his neck and the sudden rise in the temperature caused his hand to jerk away. When he examined it, he found the faint traces of moisture that were on the hand now turning into steam. This strange occurrence caused him to turn around immediately, only to find a large blade, seemingly made of steel, tainted in very prominent red and blue, glowing a very hot orange. The beast was still unaware of their presence, so the two started backing off in the opposite direction, and looking around for places where they could hide. As they backed away, the creature was beginning to take shape, its back was adorned with large thick spikes, short and sturdy. These spikes followed through to its head, maintaining the obvious bluish red tint throughout its entire body. The tail was equally as irregular as the body where the spikes appeared randomly along this elongated part of the creature. However as it reached the half way point of the tail, the scales and spikes seem to totally disappear, leaving only an extremely sharp bladed tail that curved slightly upward. Even the bluish red tint subsided just a little to make space for a clean silvery finish that was vandalised orange by the scorching temperature. The two of them had not seen this beast before, and had no intention of confronting it. They maintained their vision of it, while actively looking for a safe spot to hide themselves. They found a short tree that was partially submerged in water, large enough for them to hide behind. At this juncture, the creature turned around and made its way out of the area. Before it did so, however, it noticed ripples in the water body coming from the tree the two were hiding behind. Suspicious, it headed toward it to investigate. Deimos and Lio could feel the ground tremble with each step, bringing the large beast closer to them, as they both began to realise what was happening. Deimos turned to Lio and said.

‘We cannot lead this thing back to camp.’ Lio stared at Deimos for a short while before understanding what he meant. He nodded as he reached behind him, holding onto the handle of his greatsword, and Deimos did the same to the hilt of his blade. The tremors started to slow down and eventually came to a halt, as Deimos slowly turned round the corner of the tree, landing his face directly in front of the creature’s. The two of them locked eyes, as Deimos began to sweat, the creatures reptilian eyes started to turn from yellow to orange as it took two steps back and swung its body to the left, bringing its tail to the front.

‘Move!’ Deimos shouted as he leapt to the left, and Lio to the right, steering clear from the tree. The heated blade of a tail sliced the tree cleanly in half, with the red hot scales burning all that it came in contact with. The monster now noticing that it had two targets began scanning the two males standing in front of it. Seeing that one of them had a shield, it decided to engage the more vulnerable one. As soon as Deimos noticed this, he muttered.

‘For fuck’s sake’, as he ran toward Lio. The brute wyvern opened its mouth, revealing the fire glands lining its throat as it lunged at Lio delivering a bite. Lio rolled to the right side and used the momentum to swing his blade outward, hitting the beast on the shoulder with the fuller of his thick blade. The impact caused the beast to flinch, but its scales protected it well against the blow. The creature then turned back to face Lio as it opened its mouth once again. But this time, Lio could see the back of its throat beginning to glow orange. The glow was getting more intense as it transitioned forward and before he knew it, a fiery ball of flames exited its mouth and toward him. He managed to roll to the side in time, but the ball exploded on impact, engulfing its surroundings in flames. The sudden rise in temperature scalded Lio’s left leg slightly, causing a surge of discomfort as he grunted. Deimos emerged from the right side of the unaware beast and used his blade to strike under its neck in an upward motion. The unprotected region caused a wave of pain to surge through the beast as it fell backward and now on its side. Deimos then ran over to Lio to help him up while the creature lay momentarily incapacitated.

When Rhen and Rion reached the broken pillar, they were stunned in their tracks when greeted with the devilish beast before their eyes. The huge black and now glowing red brute wyvern was the stuff of nightmares. They quickly broke out of the trance when they saw Rhodes running while being chased by it. Rhen took off first, propelling herself into the air, and landing swift strikes onto the monster’s head and back. Her blade could not pierce the thick sturdy black hide of the beast, with each hit of her blade, she was greeted with a stronger reactionary force that stressed her arm muscles, tiring her extremely quickly. The creature has short spikes along its back all the way to its tail, which served as a protective layer to its already tough skin. Rion ran straight toward Rhodes, placing himself between her and the monster. The creature was clearly one that was not exceptionally intelligent, but filled with rage and raw power as it began thrashing its powerful head around like a bulldozer. When it locked eyes with Rion, it lifted its head up high and opened its jaws, diving down forcefully toward him. Rion widened his stance, and placed his hammer behind him, swinging it upward to greet the creature’s face just before it touched the ground. The combined impact of the hammer with the weight of the beast was enough to knock the monster over to its side, as it started whining and struggling on the ground. Rion turned around and shouted at Rhodes.

‘Get out of here! Go!’ Rhodes picked herself up quickly and ran back toward camp together with Phobos. Rion then turned back towards the hellish monster still on its side, noticing a red spot in between its two frontal limbs, around its chest region. As the creature got up, it let out another menacing roar, now turning its eyes and chest region a deep red colour. It then opened its mouth while facing Rion, and a thick black smog crackling with red lightning exited its mouth, destroying everything in its path. Rion rolled to his side, still trying to absorb everything that was happening right before his eyes. Rhen was studying the creature from the air, trying to locate a possible weak spot. While the head seemed promising, it was a risky place to attack the beast, especially after seeing the intimidating red lightning exit its mouth. The moment Rion saw the creature pause after its attack, he ran toward it. Just before the monster could react, Rion slid under the beast and swung his hammer upward again, this time hitting the beast directly at the red spot he saw on the underside of the creature’s chest. The blow caused the beast to jerk its whole upper body upward, which led to it opening its mouth to go for blow at Rion. Rion was not expecting the beast to retaliate so quickly, and was therefore caught off-guard as he saw the creature staring straight down at him about to chomp down. Rhen was directly above the monster’s head when she saw what the creature was about to do, so she somersaulted vertically downward in the spiralling motion, spinning her glaive along with her body, slicing through the significantly softer and thinner skin of the monster’s face. The downward strike caused the monster’s head to retract instinctively, barely missing Rion. The forceful blow caused the monster’s mouth to be momentarily lodged into the ground, as it ferociously tried to pull it out. Rhen took this opportunity to regain her composure and helped Rion back up on his feet.

‘You alright?’ Deimos asked Lio as he looked at his partially scalded leg.

‘I’m fine.’ Lio replied, getting up on his feet and putting his greatsword between him and the beast. Deimos turned his attention back to the creature who was getting back up on its feet. The creature locked eyes with Deimos this time, as it took two quick steps forward, before lunging in the air toward them and turning its body midair. It landed its tail between the two as they rolled away toward opposite directions, its tail lodging into the ground. Before retracting its tail, the beast spun its body counter-clockwise, causing the tail to strike Lio. Lio guarded the blow with his sword placed horizontally across his body, allowing it to absorb the impact of the massive tail. Even though it spared Lio of the direct hit, he still felt the force of the creature run through his strong arms as they ached in pain. The monster continued its rotation and angled its body for a low tail sweep full circle now toward Deimos on the other side. The tail scrapped the floor and was aimed at his feet. He jumped up, to dodge the blow, and retaliated with a downward strike of his blade toward the hot blade. The powerful blow on the blazing tail shattered the molten scale on it, causing the monster to retreat in pain. With the chipped scales now on the floor, the scorching tail blade revealed the hard shiny silvery material. Deimos figured that he should remove the monster’s main weapon by focusing his blows on the tail. So he ran toward the creature head-on. The monster saw him running up toward it, and so it challenged him by following suit. Just as they were about to collide, the beast opened its mouth, attempting to bite Deimos, but he slid under the creature and past its legs, emerging on the backside of the monster, delivering yet another blow to the now cooled tail. The upward strike landed directly on the tail as intended, but this time it deflected his blade. The heat previously had apparently softened the tail, causing blows on it to be effective, but now that it was cool, it had hardened and was no longer a vulnerable part of the beast. Seeing Deimos rush toward the monster, Lio followed suit, but he went for the creature’s feet this time. As he approached, he swung his greatsword overhead, and landed the heavy blade onto its left feet, successfully penetrating the thick scale and lodging itself into one of its toes. The beast roared in pain and it started to kick and swing its leg in response. Lio held on tightly to his blade, making sure that it stayed lodged in, distracting the beast while Deimos focused on the tail. Deimos was a little unsure of how to handle the tail at this point, so he merged the sword with his shield, storing the energy that was absorbed by his sword during the few blows he executed previously, and swinging the axe overhead down toward the tail. He chose not to release the energy and wanted to use the sheer weight of the axe to try and damage the tail. The method proved effective as the heavy axe colliding with the hardened tail caused the monster to flinch backward, and created a dent on its tail. Deimos dismantled his axe to regain his sword and shield, getting ready for the creature’s next move. The flinch caused Lio to fall off, leaving his sword still lodged in the monster’s feet.

‘Stay behind me’, Deimos told his now defenceless partner. The beast was clearly desperate now, in its last ditched effort, swung its tail forward and gripped it with its mouth, forming a circle with its body. Its throat and mouth began glowing hot with fire as it heated up its tail. The silvery blade once again being slowly coated in a messy layer of molten scales. The creature could be seen trying to pull its tail out of its mouth but its bite on its own tail was not relenting; the creature was building momentum. Deimos noticed this, and so he raised his shield to prepare for a heavy blow. Then without warning, the monster released its bite, causing its body and tail to spin violently in a 360 degree sweep, counter-clockwise direction. The sweep cut through and burned everything around the beast. The blow was extremely powerful, as Deimos felt bruises forming on his right hand as it supported his shield that took the blow directly. Though painful, his shield was now overflowing with energy, and in one swift motion, he reformed his axe and swung it toward the tail of the beast that was now directly in front of them. The powerful upward blow shattered the molten scales along with part of the tail itself, chipping the metallic material inside it. As the monster wailed in pain, Lio took the opportunity to get back to his blade, and pushed down on it with his full body weight, causing it to slice through and relieving the monster of one of its toes. The beast roared in agony as it took a few steps back, staring at the two tiny figures with their weapons still up in the air. The monster looked at the shattered splinter of its tail lying on the side along with its bleeding left feet, considering whether it should continue the fight or not. The three of them, remained at this stare down for a brief moment, before the creature decided to turn around and leave. Deimos ran up to Lio and asked him.

‘You alright?’ Lio smiled at him and said.

‘I’ll live. What about you?’ Lio was now staring at his right arm, covered in bruises.

‘I’m fine. What in the hell was that thing?’ Lio shrugged his shoulders, clearly as puzzled as Deimos was. They picked up the severed pieces of the creature and decided to head back to camp quickly, exhausted and in pain.

‘Thank you...’ Rion muttered softly as he placed his left hand over Rhen’s right shoulder.

‘Don’t thank me so soon, we’re not out of this mess yet.’ Rhen replied very much louder as the two stared at the fiend pull its head out violently out of the ground, leaving some of its teeth still lodged into the ground. The sheer power and impulsiveness of the creature was truly unsettling. The beast was now thoroughly enraged, as it started thrashing its head around, spewing the familiar reddish-black smog around it like a shroud, and smashing its head destroying everything around it. The two quickly rolled away from it, not keen on experiencing the threatening smog that was now surrounding the creature. Then without warning, the beast lunged forward toward them in the air, and tumbled downward head-first and rolling forward. It quickly got up and began biting the air toward them in an S-motion, beginning from its left then to its right, and then back toward the left. And the moment the two thought it was done, it perked its head up familiarly again, attempting to chomp down toward the ground with its mouth.

‘THIS THING IS INSANE!’ Rhen screamed as she rolled out of the way. Rion decided to make use of the opportunity to land the same blow on the creature’s face, seeing that this creature was so erratic, he had to take advantage whenever he could. So he stood his ground, and prepared his hammer behind him once again, charging its power. And just as the creature’s jaw began it’s descend, his hammer swung upward to collide once again with the brute’s face. This time, the knockback was much harder and more violent, sending the beast back further. Some of its teeth lay shattered in front of Rion, as the beast now panted in fatigue, staring at its adversaries. Rhen was about to take flight to finish off the beast, but Rion stretched his right arm to stop her, without breaking eye contact with the monster. After a short while, the creature straightened its back, and retreated deeper into the dark canyon.

‘You got balls Sir’, Rhen said as she turned to Rion, clearly impressed with how daring he was to take that blow on directly. Rion turned to her and smiled at the compliment, before he reached down to gather the chipped teeth of the creature.

‘Any idea what that was Sir?’ Rion didn’t look at Rhen as she asked the question, instead he was just left intrigued by the chipped teeth that now lay in the palm of his hand as he replied.

‘No. Not a clue.’

‘What do you mean she’s gone? I...’ Eros was struggling with Dr Ena as he was trying to explain the situation to Eros and getting him to stay put at the same time. The two things he was trying to achieve were not exactly making the other any easier.

‘Please, I’m informing you because I know she’s important to you. But you must stay in camp, the rest are already trying to help.’ Eros pushed Dr Ena aside and raised his voice.

‘I appreciate the concern doctor, but if Rhodes is in danger, they will need all the help they can get!’ Eros grabbed his sword and shield, before heading out of the tent.

‘Wait! Please don’t...’ Dr Ena said while running after Eros. Eros emerged from the tent to see a pale-looking Rhodes standing at the entrance of the campsite with Phobos on her shoulder. She had her hands on her knees, panting. Eros ran up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, checking for injuries while he asked.

‘Rhodes! Are you ok? RHODES!’ Rhodes lifted her head to look at Eros with a pale expression. She didn’t nod nor did she shake her head, she just stared at Eros with a blank face. Dr Ena appeared shortly after with a smile on his face.

‘You’re safe! Where are the rest?’ His smile slowly subsided as Rhodes turned slowly toward him and said.

‘Devil... Deviljho...’

Deimos and Lio arrived at the camp shortly after Rhodes, panting as well. They looked at their companions facing each other with Rhodes and Dr Ena’s face paler than the moon. Lio then asked.

‘Where’s everyone?’ Rhodes and Dr Ena were too stunned to respond so Eros decided to speak up.

‘Rhodes went missing when Rhen and her went looking for...’ Eros was speaking to Lio but then turned to see Deimos standing beside him. Eros was still a little nervous to see him, but he turned his attention back to Lio as he continued.

‘Rhodes was missing, so Rhen returned to inform commander Rion of the situation, suspecting that she got into some kind of danger, so he left with Rhen to look for Rhodes. Now Rhodes is back, but she came back alone.’ Eros now turned toward Rhodes and continued, ‘And for some reason she’s so stricken with fear that she just keeps muttering something about a Deviljho. What even is that?’ Deimos and Lio didn’t know what that meant either, but Lio was more concerned that Rhen and his father still hadn’t returned. So he grabbed Rhodes’ right shoulder and turned her round gently to face him.

‘Where are they?’ Rhodes pointed in the direction she came from, and Lio took off immediately. Deimos followed closely behind him. Lio noticed footprints in the sand, and quickly identified them as his father’s, so he followed them. It led him toward the same direction Rhodes pointed him toward, and he eventually reached the crossroad, where the footprints carried on into the dark canyon. Before he entered, he heard chattering coming from that direction, a familiar female voice, it was Rhen. He soon saw the two of them emerging from the darkness, as Rhen ran up toward him.

‘Hey! Good to see you. We didn’t manage to find wonder boy, but we almost got killed by this...’ Before Rhen could finish, she noticed Deimos standing behind Lio, looking at her with a look of concern. When Lio saw her eyes starting to fill with rage, he tried to stop her but she beat him to it as she glared at him and raised her voice.

‘Keep your paws off of me pussy cat!’ Lio immediately rest his hands by his side when he heard this to let the lady pass. Rion looked at his submissive son and smiled as they embraced each other.

‘Hey, its...’ Deimos was interrupted rudely with a slap across his left cheek. He didn’t turn back to look at Rhen as his head remained tilted to the right.

‘You think you’re so damn cool huh? Walking off into the night all by yourself?’ Rhen spoke to him softly, but sternly. ‘What the fuck was going through your head when you stormed off like that? Huh?! You could’ve die-... Ohh, nevermind you, RHODES COULD’VE DIED! Did THAT ever cross your mind?!’ Rhen was shouting now. Deimos remained silent, still looking away. Rhen then started antagonising Deimos by pushing him on the chest with both her arms.

‘You unhappy with me? Then hit me. HIT ME! But don’t you fucking put other people in danger like that ever again! You irresponsible, selfish little prick!’ Rhen’s shouting and physical push was beginning to agitate Deimos, but he held back. He decided to now turn toward Rhen and gave her a response.

‘I’m sorry, but I didn’t...’ Rhen once again interrupted him, as if knowing what he was going to say.

‘Hah! Right... You didn’t ask us to look for you. Did your mother ask you permission before she gave birth to you?! You don’t get to choose who loves and cares about you, wonder shit! Grow up!’ Rhen stormed off after saying this, leaving Deimos frozen in place after hearing this. Rion and Lio were witnessing this whole ordeal, and Rion quickly turned to Lio and said.

‘Make sure you two come back safely. See you back at camp.’ Rion then left the two to themselves. Lio walked up to Deimos and wrapped his arms around him, not saying a word, and just being with him. After giving Deimos a few moments to recover from that confrontation, he nudged him and they took a slow stroll back to camp.

As the two arrived back at camp, Eros was sitting by the fire with Phobos, and no one else was outside, presumably in their own tents catching some much needed sleep. The moment Eros saw the two gentlemen, he stood up and went to them.

‘Thank god you guys are ok! Deimos, I...’ Deimos then shook his head and responded coldly.

‘Not now Eros.’ Eros felt invalidated by that cold comment, but decided to give Deimos his space, letting him pass to enter their tent. Lio placed his hand on Eros’ shoulder.

‘Don’t worry about it, we can talk in the morning. Go get some sleep.’ Eros flashed Lio a smile as he entered the tent shortly after to rest, with Phobos also entering the female tent to sleep. Lio was now the only one outside, so he extinguished the fire outside before going to bed. As he put out the fire, the dwindling flames caused the scalded skin of his left leg to beginning burning with a familiar sensation. He rubbed it with his left hand to ease the discomfort, before resting after the long and tiresome day.


	20. Helping Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

Lio awoke with his eyelids still heavy. Their unexpected encounter the night before not only left the team exhausted, but it also deprived them of their much needed rest. He turned to his right to see Eros on the other side of the tent still sound asleep. He then looked down to the ground, to see an empty patch of cloth. Deimos was not in his bed.

Where did he run off to this time, Lio thought as he pushed himself up and sat by the side of his bed. He looked toward the entrance of the tent to see that it was still dark outside. He exited the tent and was greeted by the sun just beginning to rise, peaking just over the horizon. Coupled with the dry air of the Wastes, it was a rather different experience compared to the Ancient Forest and Astera. He took in a deep breath, allowing the freshness of the morning air to fill his lungs, invigorating his system. With his eyes closed, he could concentrate on the cooling sensation the air brought to his body as he felt his muscles instantly relax. At this, his scalded left leg suddenly twitched in pain as he opened his eyes and turned his attention to it. It was red and sore, painful when he touched it, but it wasn’t unbearable. As he returned to his original agenda of looking for his partner, he scanned the premises eagerly looking for Deimos. Lio spotted him by a small pond in the camp, with his body supported by his two feet flushed together side-by-side and his two arms straightened and shoulder-width apart on the ground as he maintained his muscular back straight. Deimos was lowering his body and just before his now bulging chests touched the ground, he would push himself back up to the same position, repeating this slowly and methodically. Lio was taken aback by this spectacle of Deimos’ muscular and now sweaty frame, unable to control his already hard morning wood as it maintained its stiffness. He walked up to him slowly and squatted down in front of him, smiling as he greeted him.

‘Good morning, sunshine!’ Deimos ignored him as he continued doing his push-ups. Lio was expecting a reply but got none, so he decided to wait for Deimos to finish his reps. He could totally appreciate ignoring people while in the middle of a workout. After Deimos was done with his reps, he brought his knees forward and lifted his hands from the ground to a now kneeling position, as he looked at Lio, panting and drenched in sweat.

‘Morning’, he replied emotionlessly. Lio was dying to talk about the incident, but the last thing he wanted to do was push Deimos too hard, especially considering that he already had a beating from Rhen. Lio just wanted to be there for him, and so that was what he did. And for a long while, the two just stared at each other, unsure of what to say or do. The silence was driving Lio up the wall, so he decided to open his mouth.

‘So are you uhh... Still mad at me?’

‘Yup’, Deimos said as he swept the sand off the palm of his hands. Lio wore a worried look before responding.

‘I’m really sorry, can we talk about it?’ Deimos looked up and smiled at Lio.

‘Nope’, as he got up and sat by the pond. He began to wash his upper body by scooping water with one hand, and pouring it over the opposite side of his body, tracing across the contours of his now tensed up muscles. Lio got up and sat next to him by the pond and asked.

‘You need help with your back?’ Deimos shook his head without looking at him as he struggled to reach round to his back. Lio then forcefully turned Deimos’ body so that his back now faced Lio and their right side faced the water body.

‘You’re making a mess, let me.’ Lio then scooped some water and began running both his hands along Deimos’ tan and sweaty back. The texture of his smooth skin was something Lio never grew tired of as he savoured the moment. His hands ran from the lower back, slowly up toward his broad shoulders, trying hard to be thorough. Lio was at least glad that Deimos allowed him this much. Lio found his hands starting to get adventurous, as they began circling round his side when they got to his lower back. Lio’s hands were now pressed onto Deimos’ firm abs and this was where his hands parted ways. While his left hand climbed upward to explore his chest region, his cheeky right hand went down south, past his oblique and toward his crotch. Surprisingly, Deimos did not resist, he just sat still, and started leaning his body backward slightly, as if encouraging Lio to continue. Lio’s left bicep was now under Deimos’ left armpit with his left hand comfortably on Deimos’ right chest. He gave it a gentle squeeze, causing Deimos’ pelvis to jerk forward slightly as he released a soft moan. It wasn’t long before Lio’s right hand located the hardened shaft confined in the tight regions of Deimos’ pants. Lio was very hesitant to continue, seeing where this was going. While he was enjoying himself, he didn’t want to trivialise their intimacy. So he decided to stop, regrouping his hands back round Deimos’ abdomen, and transitioning into a hug, resting his head on Deimos’ right shoulder. At this point, Deimos turned to the side and looked at Lio saying.

‘Is this how you apologise?’ Lio nervously responded.

‘Well no, but seeing as though words couldn’t get to you...’ A gentle smile appeared on Deimos’ face as he placed his right hand behind Lio’s head, wrapping his arm round his face, pulling it in for a kiss. As their lips connected, Lio tightened his embrace, his body was now surging with dopamine. His fingers were cushioned by Deimos’ tight abs, his cheeks were cupped by Deimos’ strong right bicep, and his lips were thoroughly moist with Deimos’ saliva. Lio was on edge right now, he had difficulty resisting the urge to take Deimos right there and then. Lio’s dilemma was reflected as he loosened his grip round Deimos’ waist and his lips lost their strength in the kiss. Deimos then retaliated by using his left hand to lead Lio’s left hand back upward and onto his right chest, prompting him to squeeze it. Concurrently, Deimos used his right arm to push Lio’s face toward his, forcing their kiss to maintain its pressure. Deimos took a playful bite on Lio’s lower lip, causing Lio to lose control and return the biting motion and push his tongue into Deimos’ mouth. Deimos reacted with a smile on his face as he opened his mouth willingly, allowing Lio to explore it as much as he wanted. Lio’s tongue first brushed the side of Deimos’ mouth, before reaching further in. Deimos then returned the greeting by pushing his tongue against Lio’s. This forced a reaction from Lio as he pulled Deimos’ body closer to his, Lio’s crotch now pressing against Deimos’ tailbone, where his large bulge could be felt. Deimos could sense that Lio was still hesitant despite feeling his bulge, so his left hand now turned its attention to Lio’s right hand, still obediently on his abs, as he directed it downward and into his pants, forcefully pushing it to grab his erected penis. Once Lio’s grip was established, Deimos’ left hand retreated and violently pushed his pants down slightly to expose his bare hips and freeing his fully erected member, as it stood now vertically upward with Lio’s right hand gripped firmly onto it. Lio’s hand was not moving, and Deimos was unamused as he began thrusting upward. The initial sensation of friction invited the first wave pleasure from Deimos’ penile head all the way up to his face as he exhaled through his nose and onto Lio’s face. All of Lio’s senses were going insane as his attention was now directed toward his partner’s shaft. His right hand then started to stroke it while his left hand began locating Deimos’ right nipple as it began teasing it. Performing circular motions round the bumpy skin surrounding the nipple while occasionally brushing on it. Deimos was in heaven as he let out a significantly louder moan with his mouth still occupied by Lio’s invasive tongue. Lio pulled his tongue out to stop the kiss as he lowered his head to Deimos’ neck, biting and licking it vigorously. This sent a foreign but pleasurable sensation through Deimos’ body as he jerked his head backward to expose more of his neck for Lio to violate. Lio wasted no time as he worked his way along the neck and even licking Deimos’ Adam’s apple. With Deimos’ mouth now free, he was groaning much louder. Lio’s member was at a breaking point now, demanding release, this caused Lio to readjust his posture to sit slightly to Deimos’ left such that the middle of his crotch was by his left side. He retracted his left hand to pull his cloth coil down a little to free his erected shaft, the side of the heated stick now pressing against Deimos’ left side. The sensation immediately caused Deimos to use his left hand to grab Lio’s throbbing member. Lio’s member was red with heat, and was getting more intense as Deimos’ left hand began stroking it. Lio was now the one moaning loudly, as he continued coating Deimos’ neck with his saliva, leaving a mildly salty taste in his mouth. With Deimos’ left hand now in the way, Lio’s left hand found itself tracing along Deimos’ arm that was pleasuring him, squeezing the larger biceps, and feeling the popping veins on the muscular arm. He caressed it as much as he could, taking in as much sexual energy from the tan and sweaty limb. He then transitioned to his left chest where he found the other nipple. This time, he pinched it without warning, causing Deimos to jerk and squeeze Lio’s member with quite a large amount of force, causing Lio to jerk as well as he bit Deimos’ neck a little too hard, leaving a mark.

‘Oww!’ Deimos’ eyes now opened, and stared at Lio frowning slightly.

‘Sorry!’ Lio was both shocked and amused at how that series of events played out the way it did. Deimos’ frown turned into a smile as he leaned into Lio for another kiss. The moment their kiss connected, both their hands resumed their stroking motion. The thrill of pleasuring each other in the middle of camp was sending the sensation of both nervousness and eroticism through both of the males as they continued. But as this realisation grew, so did their eagerness to release, as both of them began thrusting their pelvis while in the hands of the other. Lio’s right hand was now thoroughly drenched in pre-cum, as he reluctantly released his grip on Deimos’ shaft, and smeared the transparent lubricant all over Deimos’ body. His left hand now reunited with his right, as they traversed from his pelvis up to his neck in quick succession, while spreading the sticky fluid thoroughly. Deimos was both turned on and frustrated by this, as he began thrusting his pelvis in the air instinctively. Deimos right hand then released its grip on Lio’s head to fulfil the urge to release as it reached to grab his shaft, but Lio stopped him, pulling his right arm backward to hold onto his shaft instead. Deimos now had both hands on Lio’s dick and was stroking it with the help of Lio’s own thrusting. Deimos’ member was now left free and swinging in air while Lio continued pushing both his hands up and down Deimos’ shiny and smooth body. Lio’s member was getting a lot of attention from both Deimos’ hands and he was purposefully rubbing it against Deimos’ lower back as well, smearing his pre-cum onto it, knowing full well Deimos could feel it. He waited for Deimos to reach his climax, before reaching back to his shaft, using his left hand to pull back his foreskin and supported the base of his shaft, while his right hand now focused its strokes to the upper half of the penis. Lio’s strokes were now faster and covered a shorter distance, causing Deimos to wail as the head of his penis grew redder. Deimos let out a final moan of pleasure as he arched his back and pushing his pelvis into the air, spewing a fountain of white fluid from the tip of his penis. The watery semen squirted all over Deimos’ own body, covering it in a second layer of sticky substance. Deimos ejaculating was something that brought Lio over the top, feeling his own member raging with energy, urging to release soon too. Lio then impulsively freed his penis from Deimos’ grip and pushed him forward, causing him to kneel down with both his hands straightened and supporting his body weight as Lio pulled Deimos’ pants a little lower down revealing his meaty butt cheeks. He placed his member between them and used his hands to press the cheeks inward to provide a tighter squeeze. He then began thrusting quickly, ensuring not to lose the pent up heat in his genital. His hands slowly transitioned from Deimos’ cheeks to his waist, where his fingers wrapped round to the front, and could feel the sticky semen that was now smeared all over Deimos’ body. He then decided to lean slightly forward, using both his hands to once again work from Deimos’ oblique and upward to his chest, where his now cum-drenched hands found both of Deimos’ nipples. Just before Lio ejaculated, he squeezed Deimos’ chests as he immediately straightened his back, and pushing his pelvis forward, stretching his penis and pulling back the foreskin, causing a stream of semen to explode from the tip. Lio vandalised Deimos’ tan back with white streams of his seed, as he continued milking his own member using Deimos’ butt cheeks. Deimos bent his elbows in exhaustion, causing his butt to perk upward, pushing the now sensitive head of Lio’s penis, causing him to jerk and let out another moan of pleasure. Lio then bent down slowly, reaching round Deimos’ waist and grabbed his now flaccid but still elongated penis, stroking it slowly.

‘Hey, I’m... done...’ Deimos tried to articulate amidst the exhaustion, with his hand trying to stop Lio from over teasing his member. Lio did one final upward stroke with his thumb and index finger forming a tight circle to scoop up the residual semen from the penis. Lio then placed his left hand on Deimos’ chest and used it to push Deimos’ upper body to straighten up. Deimos’ back was now pressed against Lio’s body, with both of them in a kneeling position. Lio pulled Deimos even closer, pressing his cum-soaked back onto Lio’s own body, smearing it thoroughly while his hands were spreading Deimos’ own cum over his body. Deimos was intrigued at how Lio was still playing with their semen even after they were done, he was exhausted but enjoyed watching Lio still amusing himself. Then without warning, Lio flipped Deimos around so that they now faced each other, and Lio bent all the way down such that his face was at Deimos’ pelvis. Lio stuck out his tongue, and pressed it against the area just above Deimos’ now flaccid penis, and he brought it vertically up, licking all the semen and pre-cum that he previously smeared all over, now into his mouth. As Lio reached the chest, he took a sharp turn to Deimos’ right nipple, giving it a gentle nibble with his mouth full of Deimos’ thick milk. He then straightened his back again, and without warning, gave Deimos a kiss. Lio pushed some of Deimos’ own semen into his mouth, as the both of them swallowed while in the middle of the kiss. Lio’s tongue was still exploring Deimos’ mouth as this happened, causing Deimos to be amazed at his skill with his tongue. After three more biting motions, Lio pulled away from the kiss and smiled at Deimos, placing both his hands on his cheeks and resting his forehead against Deimos’. Deimos was now looking down at Lio’s cum smeared on his body too, mainly on his abs, as Deimos now lowered his body to lick it off Lio’s body. He was stingy, so he swallowed it all for himself. He ingested Lio’s essence on the spot, licking and swallowing every droplet he could find. Lio’s semen was a very good mix of sweet and salty, neither overpowering the other. It was also a very strong white colour, but it was neither too thick nor was it too watery, it was just the right viscosity. Deimos then pretended to find more cum on Lio’s upper body as he continued licking Lio and similarly, made his way up to his left nipple, giving it a nibble. Lio placed his left hand on Deimos’ head as he played with his nipple and feeling his member hardening yet again. He ignored his member, and allowed his partner to do whatever he wanted with his body. Deimos was getting ahead of himself as he worked his way round to the side and onto Lio’s left arm, kissing his shoulder before reaching his biceps. The bulge was in Deimos’ face as he started licking and biting it intently, Lio feeling equally pleasured by this as he shut his eyes, with his left hand still behind Deimos’ head, causing his bicep to flex. Deimos then used his right hand to release Lio’s grip on his head, and lift it overhead, revealing a forest of hair under his armpits. Deimos then looked at Lio’s stretched out left nipple, and returned to teasing it with his mouth. After briefly revisiting the nipple, he began a long lick through the armpits and stopped at Lio’s triceps now. With Lio’s arm outstretched, it was his triceps’ turn to bulge now, allowing Deimos to worship them. Lio’s free right arm now found itself on Deimos’ left shoulder working its way down Deimos’ still cum-soaked back. The muscular frame of his back was firm to the touch and the defined bulges caused Lio to instinctively squeeze them as they came. To make room for Lio, Deimos’ left arm now wrapped around Lio and grabbed his torso, leaning closer, with his attention still fixated on Lio’s left triceps, which was covered in his saliva now. Deimos was beginning to feel the fatigue kicking in, as he slowed down his kissing and just pushed his body weight on Lio’s left chest. He decided to rest his whole body weight on Lio, as Lio fell backward. Lio was now lying down on the floor on his back, with Deimos on top of him and Deimos’ head rested on Lio’s left chest. Lio’s penis was pressed against Deimos’ firm abs, still hard.

‘You know the rest are about to wake up, they really shouldn’t see us like this.’ Deimos had his eyes closed and panting, ignoring Lio as he got comfortable while lying on top of him.

‘Did you hear me?’ Lio asked. Deimos used his right hand to grab Lio’s left arm again, and placed it over his neck to force a hug, as he continued lying on his chest breathing heavily. Lio chuckled to himself, seeing Deimos not only exhausted, but also turning out dirtier than he was after his morning exercise. Not to mention he was supposed to clean his back, not dirty it. So as Deimos lay exhausted, Lio decided to begin washing both of them up using his right hand to scoop the water from the pond beside them. Deimos’ chest was rested on Lio’s abdomen, where he could feel his heartbeat directly. The moment he felt the heartbeat slow down significantly, he sat up and pushed Deimos to sit up as well.

‘You know I will still wanna talk about it right?’ Lio said.

Deimos rolled his eyes as he pushed himself away from Lio and looked away. Lio was now back in his nervous state of wondering how far he could go without pushing Deimos over the edge. Deimos turned his body toward the water body, and was now readjusting his coil to wear it properly and retracted his penis back into the garment. He dipped his hands into the pond to wash his hands before turning to Lio and smiled.

‘Yeah I know. But there really isn’t much to talk about.’ Deimos responded coldly. Lio tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. Deimos then continued as he looked away.

‘Look, I was the one that screwed up. Yes, I’m angry with you, but not for the reason you might think.’ Deimos now turned back to face Lio. ‘I’m frustrated at the fact that I could not sound off my side of the story, that I couldn’t relay the message that I wanted. You were right to ask me to back off, because I was not in the right state of mind, but you didn’t bother asking what was wrong, and instead just pushed me away, that was what triggered me the most. For that brief moment, it felt like you didn’t care.’ Deimos now turned back to washing his arms in the pond. Lio understood where Deimos was coming from, and was glad that he agreed to talk about it.

‘I’m so sorry dude, I didn’t realise I came across that way.’ Lio then inched closer to Deimos and placed his hand over Deimos’ thigh. Deimos then turned to Lio intentionally encapsulating his gaze by flashing Lio a smile. As soon as Lio smiled back, Deimos flung a handful of water toward Lio’s face.

‘Ahh! What th-...’ Lio had his hands now raised to cover his eyes. Deimos then began splashing water onto Lio’s body.

‘Hey! Stop...’ Lio said as he tackled Deimos, pushing him down on the floor. Lio now found himself sitting on top of Deimos, with his thighs by Deimos’ side. Deimos ran his still moist left hand up along Lio’s abs where his cum was licked cleaned. As Deimos was erotically cleaning Lio’s body with his left hand, his right hand was rested on Lio’s left thigh. Sliding the hand up and down the thigh, he felt a rough patch followed by a frown appearing on Lio’s face. He suddenly remembered Lio’s injury, immediately sitting up and pushing Lio off as he took Lio’s left leg with both hands examining the injury.

‘How is it?’ Deimos asked while looking at the scalded wound.

‘It hurts when you touch it, but otherwise its fine.’ Lio replied as he squint his eyes periodically as Deimos touched it.

‘You should ask Rhodes to...’ Lio then interrupted.

‘It’s nothing, I’ll be fine.’ Lio then smiled and placed his left hand on Deimos’ right cheek. Deimos snuggled his face into the warm palm, giving it a kiss, before letting go of Lio’s leg. The sun was now above the horizon as it began heating up the exposed desert fields. The heat radiated quickly through the dry air as the squad began waking up. Rion was the first to exit his tent; the furthest away from them, seeing the two of them sitting by the pond, he decided to remain unnoticed as he prepared some food for the rest. The next one to exit was Rhodes, whose tent was the closest to them, as she greeted them before she saw what they were doing, causing her to stop mid-sentence.

‘Good morn-.... Ohh, sorry!’ Lio removed his hand from Deimos’ cheek as the two turned to look at Rhodes as they replied in unison.

‘Good morning!’ The two got up and Lio went back into the tent to make sure he was wearing his gear properly. Deimos walked straight up to Rhodes and apologised.

‘I’m sorry for putting you in danger yesterday. It won’t happen again.’ Rhodes placed her right hand on Deimos’ left shoulder and said.

‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep Deimos. Things happen, don’t worry about it! Why are you so sticky?’ Rhodes said as she removed her hand and stared at it. Deimos blushed and quickly responded.

‘Uhh... I was exercising in the morning... And I was in the middle of uhh... Cleaning up...’ Rhodes nodded in realisation before she left him to help Rion prepare breakfast. Deimos turned over to look at this shoulder, and didn’t remember Lio ejaculating anywhere near his shoulder. But then, not only was his back facing Lio when he came all over him, Lio’s hands were smearing both their semen all over his body like it was soap. So he returned to clean his right shoulder before joining the rest. Once he was done, he was walking past the ladies’ tent when Rhen emerged from it. He stared at her, frankly afraid to say anything to her, as she comfortably shouted at him.

‘GOOD MORNING WONDER BOY!’

‘Ohh hey, morning.’ Deimos replied shakily. He then plucked the courage to ask. ‘Not still mad at me I hope.’ Rhen now stared at him before a laughter emerged from her mouth as she replied.

‘I was never mad at you, I was mad with what you did. And I said what I wanted to say, so that was yesterday’s business, today’s a new day!’ And she slapped his left arm. ‘Eww, why are you so sticky?’ Deimos’ eyes dilated as he muttered.

‘Ohh... I uhh... Exercise...’ He placed his right hand over his left arm where it was slapped. Rhen frowned at him and said.

‘Ohh... EWWW! Yuck!’ Rhen then cleaned her hand on Deimos’ pants before running off. Deimos rolled his eyes and went back to the pond, now ensuring his whole body was thoroughly cleaned before allowing anymore physical contact with other people.

Everyone was now up and seated in a circle in front of the tents, each with a small loaf of bread along with some honey to help with the dull taste. As they were eating, Rion was the first to speak up as he threw the chipped teeth he collected the night before into the centre of the circle. Dr Ena’s eyes enlarged as he saw the shattered teeth.

‘How did you manage to get that commander?!’

‘It came from a towering monster that was matte black, with spikes from its back through to its tail. Its chest glowed a menacing intense red colour as it was spitting black smog covered red lightning. May I ask what devil of a monster Rhen and I just encountered?’ Rion explained calmly.

‘These teeth belong to a Deviljho, it’s unmistakeable. This is both fascinating and terrifying news. The Deviljho is an extremely rare monster and it can cause drastic changes to whatever ecology it resides in. It is notorious for its insatiable hunger, and it must constantly feed otherwise it will die. This very nature of the beast turned it into not only a scavenger, but a destroyer as well. Its hunger is so severe that teeth have even been seen to grow outside of the mouth, that’s why it has been seen to have a habit of chipping away regularly as it becomes increasingly uncomfortable for the creature.’ Rhen then stopped the doctor to summarise.

‘So basically this thing is just perpetually hungry and angry? Its hangry all the time?’ Dr Ena frowned at Rhen’s made-up word, but nodded reluctantly because her first statement was true. Dr Ena then continued.

‘The red lightning and black smog you witnessed exit this creatures’ mouth was the element of dragon. With its diet consisting of mostly rotten flesh, its whole body is seeping with decay, the perfect environment for the dragon element to thrive. But once again, another marvel is taking place before us.’ The group was not really amused by this, but urged Dr Ena to clarify what he meant. ‘You see the Deviljho’s source of power is also its own Achilles’ heel. Its body was made to endure a specific amount of decay, and even if there was an increase it must be a gradual one too. As such if one were to overload the creature with the dragon element, it has been observed to be surprisingly effective as well.’ Dr Ena gave the team time to soak up this new information. After which he turned toward Lio and Deimos and asked.

‘It was a pity these two didn’t return earlier, otherwise they might have been able to help with the confrontation of the Deviljho, or maybe it could have been avoided entirely.’ Deimos looked down in shame as he heard this, embarrassed that he put the whole group in perilous danger. Lio then spoke up.

‘We would have, but we too were caught up by something unexpected. Show them.’ Lio turned to Deimos and nudged him. Deimos then fished out the broken tail edge and the shattered bluish-red toenail. Dr Ena’s already enlarged eyes widened even more.

‘Unbelievable! You two encountered the scorching blade?’ The group looked at Dr Ena confused as he recollected himself.

‘Sorry, that’s the nickname we scholars have for the notorious Glavenus. An incredibly intelligent brute wyvern, who has learned how to defend itself by consciously sharpening its tail. Its tail was never this sharp, but they learn to sharpen it over the years of maturing, until it eventually becomes a devastating weapon. It is a painful process, because they have to forcefully bite off layers of their own scales, to make room for the harder metallic material to grow to form the blade.’ Rhodes then noticed Lio’s left leg.

‘Lio, is your left leg alright?’ Lio then folded his right leg in front of the left leg to hide the scald.

‘Yeah its fine.’ Rhodes then got up and walked over to him.

‘Let me take a look.’ Lio then reluctantly revealed his left leg to show it thoroughly scalded. Rhodes frowned at him.

‘You call this fine? Shame on you.’ Rhodes then went to gather some water moss growing by the pond and mixed it with some nulberries from their supplies to prepare some medicine for Lio. As she was applying the medicine, Lio immediately felt the wound get better, as the cool sensation from the water moss rehydrating the burnt skin.

‘Thank you’, Lio said to Rhodes as she looked up and smiled at him before continuing. Dr Ena was fascinated by the tail blade that the two managed to break off.

‘How did you two manage to break off the tail? Wasn’t it out of reach and extremely hardy?’ Deimos then explained how he had to use his axe to hit it since his blade was too short to reach it. At this, Dr Ena ran back into his tent for a brief period of time, before emerging again with peculiar metallic four-clawed mechanisms.

‘I have been experimenting with this, and I think I have figured a way to modify your slingers to attach a clutch claw mechanism. Originally, fighting on a monster was unheard of. But seeing that monsters are becoming more adapted to our weapons and most of their weak spots are at places we cannot reach on the ground, we too shall adapt!’ Dr Ena now went around and installed the clutch claw to the four hunters’ slinger mechanism. The four-clawed mechanism had a joint in the middle of each claw, allowing it to fold backwards neatly when unused. When needed, it would simply fold forward and form a large metallic claw that could grab large objects with ease. The claws were sharp and edged with small teeth, allowing it to hold onto any surface easily. Since the folding mechanism folded backwards, releasing the grip on the monster was also easier.

‘Unfortunately, this does not substitute your slingshot, and those will still be used for wedge beetles. The claw would otherwise crush the beetles.’ Dr Ena clarified as the hunters began examining their new toy. Rion then turned to Dr Ena and asked.

‘Doctor, is it possible for us to traverse the Wastes in one day? I do not wish to linger longer than we have to.’ Dr Ena turned toward Rion and said.

‘Yes, we can make it through if we don’t run into it.’ Rion started frowning at Dr Ena, clearly unsure of what he meant.

‘It?’ Rion questioned. Dr Ena gulped before responding.

‘Teostra, Sir.’


	21. Matriarchy

Rion was extremely concerned about encountering anymore wildlife in the Wastes, especially not with Dr Ena defenceless and the group burdened with their equipment. So Dr Ena’s seemingly random reminder about Teostra’s probable presence in the Wastes not only puzzled the commander, but thoroughly frustrated him as well.

‘Doctor, why are you harping on Teostra again? We know that in theory we could bump into it but you speak of it as if we certainly will. Is there something we’re missing here?’ Dr Ena’s face now shot the group with a worrisome expression as he clarified.

‘I saw a red beast covered in flames flying overhead last night while all of you were out looking for Deimos. Its silhouette is unmistakeable.’ Eros then frowned and added.

‘But I was in camp with you and I didn’t see anything.’

‘This was while I was going to your tent to inform you about the situation.’ Dr Ena replied before turning back a now slightly agitated Rion.

‘And you didn’t think this was important enough to share with us immediately?’ Dr Ena replied without flinching.

‘With all due respect sir, all of you were tired and exhausted. Sharing that piece of unsettling information would do nothing but further deprive all of you of your much needed rest. So yes, I didn’t think it was wise to disclose it immediately.’ Rion quickly retracted as he heard the well-thought of response by the good doctor. He flashed an apologetic look toward Dr Ena as he gave him an appreciative nod after that. After a brief moment, Rion asked.

‘So which direction was it flying toward?’

‘Northeast, sir.’ That was bad news, since the team was heading northward. Regardless, the team’s operation could not afford to delay because of this, so Rion asked Dr Ena.

‘So if we were unfortunate enough to come face-to-face with the beast. What should we take note of?’ Dr Ena was now stroking his chin before answering.

‘Taking on an Elder Dragon will not be a simple task. Because they are able to command the elements around them, we have to be quick to react. They are exceedingly unpredictable and the normal rules of fighting normal monsters no longer apply.’ Rhen then ignorantly replied.

‘Well then let’s just tranq it and slip past unnoticed! Simple.’ The rest were nodding except Dr Ena and Rhodes. Rhen then locked eyes with Rhodes and perked her eyebrows as Rhodes rebutted.

‘That wouldn’t work. Elder Dragons’ physiologies are vastly different from normal creatures of the wild. And the same tranquilising chemicals have proven ineffective against them, so with that, many scholars have concluded that Elders are not creatures that we can capture. And neither should we, since bringing such a powerful creature back to base without the ability to control it could be devastating.’ Dr Ena nodded at Rhodes’ response before he continued.

‘Now more about Teostra itself. The beast’s scales are extremely tough, and on top of that it adorns a layer of hot air, which it consciously maintains its high temperature. Just being near this protective layer will be agonising, so being in close proximity to Teostra for prolonged periods of time is highly discouraged. The only part of its body that seems to be vulnerable is its head, which is covered by only its majestic red mane.’ Dr Ena then paused at this, when Rhen said confidently.

‘So we aim for its head?’ Dr Ena turned to her with a sceptical look on his face.

‘Well yes, and no.’ Rhen gave him a judgemental look after receiving such an ambiguous answer.

‘You see, Teostra is the most vulnerable to the face, but that is also where his main source of power comes from. Teostra is notorious for being able to control the element of fire right? This control is stretched beyond science, where it is able to generate its own explosions. It has been known to combust the very air around it at will. This makes standing in front of the beast extremely dangerous.’ Deimos then asked.

‘Would wetting it help?’ Rhen then flashed him a cheeky smile when she heard this. Deimos glared at her, prompting her to stop. Dr Ena then replied.

‘Yes, if the air or Tesotra for that matter, has too much moisture around, it will not be able to combust it. But there’s an issue with that however. I understand your charge blade can generate water from the stored energy yes?’ Deimos nodded at this, before the doctor continued. ‘The thing is Teostra gains its strength by maintaining a high body temperature, but your weapon covers the target with steam. So while you make the air moist, you also work to increase the temperature. So you solve one problem while creating another.’ Deimos looked down to think for a brief moment before asking Dr Ena again.

‘Then would ice be better?’ Dr Ena gave that suggestion a bit of thought before perking his head up with enlarged eyes replying.

‘Yes, yes! Ice! Of course, that should work!’ Rion then dampened his spirits.

‘Should? Doctor, we need certainties, not guesses.’ Dr Ena then turned to Rion.

‘I’m sorry sir, but intelligent guesses are all I can offer at the moment.’ Dr Ena then turned back to the squad. ‘All I can advise for now is to try and stick to either the ice or dragon element, as those have very high likelihood of dealing significant damage to the creature. Anything beyond that, I would exercise caution.’ Rhen then clarified.

‘What about the wings doc? Are those protected by scales?’ Dr Ena turned to Rhen.

‘Only its skeleton, the flesh is not protected. But what’s the point? We can’t...’ Dr Ena then stopped himself as he noticed the long glaive sitting beside Rhen as he corrected himself. ‘Of course! You use the insect glaive. Yes, its wings are vulnerable as well.’ Rhen then flashed a confident smile after hearing this. Rion was not comfortable with the state of this operation, but he knew that things were beyond him, and the best thing he could do was to prepare the team the best he could. So Rion dismissed the group to pack up camp and begin making their way towards the Coral Highlands.

‘Deimos, come here with your weapon.’ Dr Ena called out to Deimos while the rest of the team were packing up camp. Deimos went over and passed Dr Ena his charge blade. ‘This is a very intriguing piece of equipment, I’ve never seen a charge blade like this. It’s very well-made.’

‘It was a gift from a friend back in the Old World.’ Deimos said as he smiled.

‘The Glavenus tail blade contained a material that combusts violently, I might be able to amplify your weapon’s fire capabilities.’ Deimos’ eyes widened at the sound of this, as he nodded like a child in excitement. ‘The Deviljho’s chipped teeth that the commander retrieved also contain radioactive properties that can speed up the decay of your dragon phials. If you like, I could modify them into your weapon.’ Deimos was extremely excited as he handed Dr Ena his weapon, watching as Dr Ena dismantled the mechanism and altered the components inside before reassembling it back and handing it back to Deimos.

‘Thanks!’ Deimos was elated as he continuing staring at his new and improved weapon. At this point, Rhen came up and said jealously.

‘Hey! Why does he get all the upgrading but the rest of us don’t? Those teeth were broken by the commander and I, we should be the ones receiving the upgrade!’ Dr Ena calmed her down and said.

‘Calm down, I cannot make direct upgrades to your weapon because I’m not a smithy. To alter the properties of your weapon, I will need to break it down and merge the materials into your blade, for which I have neither the skills nor the equipment to do so.’ Dr Ena now turned back to Deimos and said. ‘But for our dear friend here, his weapon was modified so that the mechanism inside implores more science than engineering, in which regard I can exercise my speciality.’ Deimos turned to Rhen and gave her an antagonising smile, as she retaliated by sticking out her tongue at him and walked away. Deimos returned to the rest and helped the team finish packing the final pieces of equipment and they were ready to head off. Rion faced the team to check one final time to see if everything was in order before leading the way. Rion led the way with Dr Ena by his side, Rhen and Rhodes followed closely behind, followed by Deimos, with Phobos on his shoulders, and Eros walking side-by-side and Lio taking the rear. Eros insisted that he was well enough to carry some weight, so he forcefully snatched one of the three tents to carry. Deimos reached out to take it back from him.

‘Hey, let me...’ Eros brushed his left hand aside and said.

‘I’m fine! Let me carry something. Even Phobos is pulling his own weight!’ Deimos turned to look at his brother to see him carrying a small bag with honey and food. Deimos flashed him a sceptical look as Phobos smiled back at him with a cheeky look. Yeah, and guess whose carrying him? Deimos then quickly turned back to Eros.

‘Ok, but as soon as you feel tired, please voice out.’ Eros felt warm inside but could not smile at those words because of the incident last night. Before he could say anything though, Deimos beat him to it.

‘Listen, about yesterday...’ Eros then interrupted him by saying.

‘I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have...’ Deimos then interjected too.

‘No, I’m the one that should apologise. I allowed my emotions to take over and overstep my boundaries. The truth is, I told Lio about... us, awhile back, so I don’t know where this double standard came from. Either way, what I did last night was unacceptable and I’m sorry.’ Eros’ eyes were filled with sympathy as he heard Deimos’ words. He was both happy and sad at the same time to see Deimos this apologetic, he didn’t want him to endure anymore torment, for he knew Deimos blamed himself for putting the squad in danger. It was funny, because Eros blamed himself for that too. Deimos was concerned with the long silence, so he prompted Eros again.

‘So we good?’ Eros then quickly snapped back as he heard that question.

‘Yes, of course. I mean, I don’t think you even need to ask for forgiveness, but...’ Deimos then flashed a gentle smile at him, making him stop and return the smile. Deimos then placed his left arm around Eros and pulled him close to his body, Eros reacted by putting his right hand round Deimos’ waist. When Lio saw this from behind, he instinctively wore a smile, it was nice to see the two reconcile. The team soon reached the large open field that Rhen scoured the night before. The region looked very different in the day, with bright green grass and moss visibly lining the edge of the thin river flowing through the brown desert. The cacti surrounding the area adorned bright purple flowers that added flavour to the scene. The flashflies that were active at night have retreated into the hollow tree trunks to protect themselves from the blazing heat of the morning sun. There was a herd of Apceros by the river resting and eating the grass growing by the side of the river, so the team tried not to aggravate them by keeping their distance. The river led to the black muddy pits that the team saw when they first arrived, and they had no intention of heading that direction, so they went past the river, perpendicular to the direction of the river flow. As the team continued walking away from the river, the ground quickly returned sandy and they eventually arrived at the battle scene with the Deviljho, with the broken pillar in front of them. Rhodes’ complexion turned a little paler at the horrifying sight as it brought back equally terrifying memories. Rion suggested the team took a break at that very spot, at which point Rhodes objected saying.

‘What?! Why are we taking a break where we got attacked by that monster?! Aren’t you afraid it’ll come back?’ Rhen then joked.

‘Woman, lightning never strikes the same place twice!’ Rhodes then corrected quickly.

‘Rarely! Lightning RARELY strikes the same place twice!’ Dr Ena then calmed her down saying.

‘Relax, the Deviljho is not a territorial creature. Furthermore, even if this were its territory, as of last night it no longer is.’ Dr Ena then turned to Rion and smiled. The doctor then turned back to Rhodes and reassured. ‘So this is as good a place as any to rest.’ Rhodes took a few minutes to make sense of everything the doctor just said, and eventually calmed down. Deimos went up to one of the footprints left by the Deviljho and inspected it. It was huge, at least one and a half times larger than the Glavenus’. He then looked up and stared at Rion, wondering how he and Rhen managed to overpower such a beast. As Deimos continued his stare, Lio walked over to his side, at which point Deimos said.

‘Your father’s quite something...’ Lio smiled and looked at his father as he replied.

‘Yeah, he’s quite a beast with the hammer.’ Lio now stood there reminiscing their past hunts. The hammer was a blunt, brutish weapon, wielded by only the bravest of hunters. The weapon demanded good positioning by the hunter and fierce commitment. The weapon will then reward the hunter’s foolhardiness with frequent knockouts. You see, the hammer was a weapon imbued with a magical property that serves to stun monsters when landing blows to the head. The magic concentrates the vibrations generated on impact and focuses on the tip of the hammer head. These vibrations are kept at a specific frequency that resonates with the monster’s skull; which causes a strong reactionary force, leading to heavy concussions. Lio was spoilt by Rion during their hunts in the past, Rion would always maintain the attention of the creature, and often toppled it regularly, allowing Lio to land safe and effective hits on it without worry of retaliation. But with many hunters disinterested in the weapon, he had to change the way he fought in the battlefield. Lio did feel safer fighting with Deimos however, he always found a way to shield Lio from harm with his charge blade when he was out of position. Lio was looking at Deimos as he stared at him sitting by the side, playing with Phobos. Deimos was scratching Phobos’ belly as he was wriggling all four of his limbs in ecstasy. Deimos then plucked a blade of grass from behind and started wriggling it over Phobos. Phobos stared at the grass and then at Deimos.

‘What? Cats usually like this.’ Phobos’ face was now judgemental and frowning. Deimos sighed and gave up throwing the blade of grass away. Then picked up a sausage from the bag of food and started wriggling it in front of Phobos. This made Phobos’ eyes to dilate and purr in excitement as he started reaching for it with his front two paws. Deimos teasing him by hanging it barely out of reach. Phobos quickly turned to face Deimos with a frustrated expression and crossed his arms. Deimos looked at his brother, thoroughly pleased at how much he succeeded in annoying him. He then lowered his arm and gave Phobos the sausage. Phobos grabbed it as his face lit up, he then adjourned to Deimos’ right side to sit down and savoured it. Lio then sat down beside Phobos before placing his left hand on his head, scratching it. The moment Phobos felt his hand, he turned to face Lio and offered him his half-eaten sausage. Deimos then raised his voice and said.

‘What?! You never offered me your sausage before and you’re giving it to a stranger freely?! You stupid ball of shit!’ Phobos then turned to face Deimos and stuck out his short stubby tongue at him. Lio laughed and continued scratching Phobos’ head as he took the sausage, and slid it into his mouth while looking at Deimos. For some reason, Deimos thought Lio was doing it intentionally to make it look erotic, but the truth is Lio was just eating a bloody sausage. After he did that, Lio stuck out his tongue at Deimos too. What a great day it has been so far! Three people have stuck out their tongues at him. Phobos was squealing with joy as he saw his brother so agitated, but his attention was quickly drawn by Lio’s scalded left leg, as he began licking it. Lio was initially puzzled by this, and withdrew his leg a bit. Deimos then reassured him.

‘He does that, that’s how he tends to wounds. I could ask him to stop if you’re...’ Lio then raised his hand and said.

‘No its fine. Leave him be.’ Phobos’ small, rough tongue brushing against the scalded flesh was less than pleasant, this was what caused Lio to retract initially. But the more Phobos licked his leg, the moister it became. Phobos’ saliva was cooling the wound, which made Lio began to feel the comfort from the lick, so he decided to allow it.

‘Phobos is really sweet. He always like this?’ Lio asked. Deimos was initially going to respond confidently with a yes, but the more he thought about it, Phobos really wasn’t. Phobos was actually very picky with the company he kept, and Deimos was probably the only person that he was really comfortable with. So he remained silent for awhile before looking at Lio and said.

‘Actually, no. He isn’t.’

‘Well, he must really like me then.’ Lio smiled to himself as he looked down at Phobos still licking his left thigh. Yeah, he does, Deimos thought to himself, now more and more curious about this phenomenon as he gave it more thought. Rion was now signalling for them to continue moving, as the team got back into formation and starting moving. The path ahead began ascending at an angle, making the forward uphill journey increasingly tiresome. Coupled with the scorching heat, the crew was gradually being drenched in sweat.

‘Ahhhh!!! I feel like stripping! It’s so fucking hot!’ Rhen was complaining. Lio heard it and shouted from the back.

‘Go ahead, I’m sure everyone won’t mind!’ Lio was now wearing a smile as Rhen turned back to return the cheeky smile. Rion and Dr Ena were beginning to blush as they stared at each other. Rhodes then pushed Rhen from the back, breaking her eye contact with Lio.

‘Please behave yourself.’ Rhodes reminded Rhen. Rhen just shrugged her shoulders at Rhodes and pretended she didn’t hear anything. Eros and Deimos were laughing to themselves, seeing how awkward the two older members of the squad were in the presence of Rhen’s inappropriateness. Their playful moment was quickly interrupted when a small red pot came flying from their left side, smashing and causing a small explosion in front of Rion. He stopped, and this caused the hunters to unsheathe their weapons immediately, and moving to stand in front of the group. The small explosion left a small black burnt spot on the brownish ground, and everyone’s attention was both drawn to the burnt mark as well as where the explosive device came from. They traced the projectile back and found a small hole between the rocky walls that they were sandwiched by. On closer inspection, they saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes peeping from the shadows, before another red pot came flying out of the hole. Deimos raised his shield as the pot exploded on impact with his shield. Its small size packed a larger punch than expected, but still it was not as formidable as anything Deimos has faced before. The squad were looking at each other thoroughly confused, until the figure emerged from the shadows, revealing a large red mane adorned around a tribal mask. The creature was no larger than Phobos. Its glowing yellow eyes were still visible from the dark mouth of the tribal mask piece, suggesting that the mask was very much larger than the creature’s actual head.

‘AYA-HAYAA-HWEEYA!!!’ The strange creature began screaming and jumping on the spot, as if in rage. Everyone’s confusion heightened when they saw this, everyone except Phobos. Dr Ena then said.

‘I have never encountered anything like this before. Times like these make me wish I studied more into Lynian Research.’ Phobos then jumped off Deimos’ shoulder, and approached the mysterious creature.

‘Ree ree reow!’

‘HYA-HYA-WHOOYA!’

‘Heow yearow!’

‘MAAYA-KARU-WEYA!’ Phobos then turned to Deimos and frowned. He climbed up unto Deimos’ shoulder and whispered into his ear. Deimos’ eyes enlarged and turned back to the group and said.

‘Uhh...’ Deimos took a pause to make sense of what Phobos had just told him, and phrased it in a less maniacal manner.

‘Apparently, we have just trespassed into this... thing’s territory. It says that this is sacred ground that belongs to his chief, and he demands payment. Otherwise our punishment is death.’ Everyone was exchanging confused looks before Rion asked.

‘How much does it want?’

‘Ohh uhh... They don’t want money... They want a sacrifice.’ Rhodes then pointed at Rhen and said.

‘Take this one.’

‘Tsk!’ Rhen responded as she slapped Rhodes’ hand away. Rion ignored the two, and asked Deimos.

‘What does it mean sacrifice?’ Phobos then continued whispering into Deimos’ ear.

‘The sacrifice is in the form of a... Dance? It wants us to pay homage to the Gods by performing a ritualistic dance.’ The group’s faces were turning into a very strange mix of confusion, amusement and embarrassment.

‘Let’s just kill that small thing and be done with it!’ Rhen said impulsively.

‘No!’ Rion replied quickly and sternly, before continuing.

‘Did it mention who needs to do it or...?’ Deimos then said.

‘Well for some reason it said it wanted to girls to do it.’ The two girls eyes opened larger than usual, but one filled with shock while the other filled with excitement. I think I need not specify whom they belonged to. Rhen then grabbed Rhodes’ arm immediately and pulled her forward such that the two of them were now standing in front of the small creature, with Rhodes on the creature’s right and Rhen on its left.

‘Ohh hail the almighty pumpkin! We sincerely apologise for our intrusion, and as requested, we shall perform our famous dance in honour of your God king.’ Rhen shouted. Rhodes turned to her and frowned saying.

‘I don’t think it understood a word you just said.’ Rhen then turned back to the creature and started blabbering gibberish.

‘HYA-YA-MOO-JAA-KUKU!’ The creature now raised a small stone sword which had strange carvings on it, and begun swinging it in the air in a circular motion as it screamed back.

‘GAAA-JAAA-LAAA-KAAA!’ Rhen then raised her voice even louder.

‘RAAA-FAAA-WAA! REEEEE!’

Deimos buried his face in his right palm before turning to Lio saying,

‘She’s going to get all of us killed...’ Then without warning, Rhen starting throwing her arms in the air, and spinning around on the spot. Her hips jerked to each side with each turn, before reversing the direction of her spin.

‘Psst! Join me woman!’

‘I... don’t know how to dance!’ Rhodes replied panicky.

‘Just pretend you’re a pole dancer and start twerking!’ Rhen replied impatiently. So Rhodes reluctantly raised her hands and began thrusting her pelvis. When Rhen saw this, she shouted at her.

‘Pole dancer! POLE DANCER! NOT A GORILLA HAVING SEX!’ Rhodes stared at her and ignored her as she continued looking like an ape trying to procreate in a very uncomfortable position. Rhen then started tapping her feet, lowering her straightened hands to the side, creating a horizontal line across her chest. She then started twisting her wrist as she brought her hands to the front. Just before they touched, she retracted her left hand and placed it on her hips while swinging her right hand back up in the air vertically. She stopped and posed for a brief moment, taking this opportunity to turn to Rhodes to see what monstrosity of a ritual she was performing. Rhodes was now squatted down with her hands stretched forward. Her stance was wide, causing her buttocks to stick out backward, as she continued jerking her hips.

‘And now you’re taking a shit?’ Rhen mocked again, before she continued with her routine. She threw herself forward and did a handstand, before lowering herself slowly until her head touched the ground. She used her hands to spin her body around, making three successful revolutions before toppling over and landing on her feet. She got up with her left hand on her hips again, and her right hand in her hair while she looked upwards with her eyes closed. She froze in this pose, but opened one eye to peek over at Rhodes one last time to see how she ended her demon-summoning dance. Rhodes was still in the squatting position, but now had her hands cupped behind her head.

‘Woman! You look like you’re giving birth!’ Everyone behind was cupping their mouths trying very hard not to laugh.

‘NYA-AHH-WUU-MAA!’

‘Meerreeooww!!’

‘Ohh! The creature says the Gods are pleased! We may pass!’ Rhen and Rhodes recovered from their dance poses and returned to the group, when the creature suddenly shouted one final line.

‘RAA-KAA-JUURAA!’ Phobos then placed a paw over his mouth, hiding a chuckle, before turning to whisper into Deimos’ ear, causing him to do the exact same thing. The two girls looked at him and asked.

‘What? What did it say?’

‘It said the Gods are especially pleased with the one on the right...’ Rhen then pointed to herself and smiled. Deimos then shook his head and said.

‘No... It’s right...’ Deimos then pointed at Rhodes before covering his mouth again and turning to Phobos who was already purring to himself. Rhen flashed a sulking expression and Rhodes smiled with confidence. The creature left one of its explosive contraptions behind as a gift before disappearing back into the darkness of the crevice. Phobos picked it up, and passed it to Rhodes who has clearly earned it. She picked it up, and examined its contents.

‘Impressive, they mixed the fire herbs in the desert with the rare nitroshroom. These two are the main ingredients for gunpowder. Intelligent creatures!’ Rhodes exclaimed as she turned to Dr Ena who was nodding in amusement as well.

‘Well, thank you girls. That was quite a uhh... Performance...’ Rion said awkwardly to the girls. Rion then signalled them to continue pressing on, which all of them gladly obliged. Eros then came up to Rhen and said.

‘I didn’t know you could dance so well! You were great!’ Rhen then pinched Eros’ left cheek as she replied.

‘You know I could even give you a private dance, if you want!’ Eros began blushing and didn’t know how to respond.

‘Private? Uhh... I... umm...’ Rhen then gently slapped the cheek she was pinching.

‘Haha! Loosen up, lover boy.’ Eros now turned to look at Rhodes. And before he could say anything, she beat him to it saying.

‘Not a fucking word.’ Eros cupped his mouth with both hands to retain his words and his laughter. The team eventually made their way over the ascending hill, and was greeted by a vast field of sand littered with multiple sand dunes and rocky spires. It was a sea of brown. The backdrop, was a black mountainous region, which was the boundary separating the Highlands from the rest of the world. With their destination visually ahead of them, this was enough motivation to fuel them to press on, as they continued toward the towering mountains.

‘Phew, at least we didn’t bump into...’ Just as Rhen was about to complete her sentence, Rion stopped the team by raising his left hand in the form of clenched fist. His gaze locked onto a prominent red figure, rested peacefully in the middle of the open sandy field. Its four elbows were bent and pointed backwards, allowing its paws to rest comfortably on the hot desert sand. Its red furry wings were folded by its side, occasionally expanding it to absorb the heat of the sun, before folding it again. Its tail was straightened on the sand, pushing the course particles from side to side. Its back was facing the team, and so unaware of their presence. Dr Ena was shaking as he whispered to Rion.

‘Sir, might I suggest we...’

‘No, we will go around.’ Dr Ena shut his eyes as he heard this, and complied. Rion then signalled the team move slowly and quietly toward the left, and away from Teostra. Rion tried to use the dunes to conceal themselves, and ideally make it out of the Wastes without confronting it. However, before they could even move behind the dune, Teostra turned its head to the left, and caught a glimpse of the group. It responded by spreading its wings outwards, revealing its large and majestic frame. Now that it was facing them, its face was in full view. It had a thick red mane that covered its cheeks and the whole of its neck. The top of its head made room for two red horns that rose up vertically before coiling backward. Its eyes were, ironically, a deep sapphire blue, much like Deimos’, which reflected a slight tinge of coolness amidst its intense demeanour.

‘Stop!’ Rion ordered, as the whole group maintained eye contact with the Elder Dragon. Teostra was still laying in the sand, seemingly relaxed, as it scanned its intruders calmly one-by-one. After it looked at each and every one of them, he simply looked away and continued basking in the sun. The team looked at each other, confused, almost disappointed the creature didn’t confront them. Dr Ena heaved a sigh of relief, and flashed a smile at Rion, who was now placing a hand over his shoulder.

‘Let’s get out of here, before it changes its mind.’ Rion said before continuing to lead the group through the open field. Deimos and Lio continued maintaining their gaze on the Teostra, who was now facing them, just in case it decides to attack them suddenly. They didn’t want to take any chances. True enough, Teostra suddenly pushed itself up, and arched its back upward in a defensive position, bearing its teeth beginning to growl at the team. Deimos and Lio was about to turn around to warn the rest when Deimos’ back bumped into Eros, who was behind him. Without turning back, he said.

‘Hey guys! We have a problem...’ There was no response after the warning. Deimos and Lio was now seeing Teostra’s scales and body heat up, the air around it visibly catching fire and covering itself in flames. Deimos and Lio now turned around desperately and shouted.

‘Guys! Teostra is...’ But both of them were gripped with fear as something else that contrasted strongly against the brown backdrop of the Wastes stood in front of them. Something hotter, something fiercer, and something very much bluer.


	22. Hell hath no Fury

‘What in Hades’ tits is that?!’ Rhen tried her best not to raise her voice, with the large blue monster standing on all fours in front of the squad. Everyone was sweating, not just from fear, but from the intense heat that they were feeling from the creature standing in front of them.

‘That’s Teostra’s bride, Lunastra...’ Dr Ena answered. Rhodes turned to Dr Ena, still with a worrisome look across her face. Lunastra was very much like Teostra in terms of shape and size, but that was where the similarities ended. The creature adorned much thicker horns, compared to Teostra’s thin curved ones. Her fur was blue, instead of red, but burned no less warmer than Teostra’s. Her body was crackling constantly with bluish sparks which looked, similar to the combusting of air that Teostra is known for.

‘If she’s Teo’s bride, why does he look at her like an intruder?’ Eros asked.

‘That’s because she is... Their courting rituals are...’ Dr Ena was interrupted by Rion shortly after he began.

‘There’s no time for this, we need to get out of here!’ The squad was sandwiched between the two large beasts, and the only advantage they had now was the fact that Lunastra had not yet noticed them, with her back facing them. The squad made use of the dunes to cover their silhouettes, trying strategically to move around Lunastra unnoticed, however their only advantage was taken away when Teostra let out a domineering roar behind them, causing Lunastra to turn around. The lioness caught a glimpse of Teostra, and the squad, and before long she began growling and bearing her large menacing fangs. Her fur began glowing a very bright whitish blue, as the air began crackling more violently now. Her gaze was unfortunately locked onto the squad instead of Teostra as she began heating up. At this point, Rion shouted.

‘Run!’ The team began opening their stride as they tried to create as much distance as they could between them and Lunastra, while trying to keep their destination in front of them. Lunastra began chasing after them, and consistently tried to outmaneuver them. She was clearly an intelligent beast, knowing full well what their intentions were and trying to block them from getting to the mountainous region behind her. The squad soon found themselves running parallel to the rocky mountains as Lunastra was cornering them off. Rion caught up quickly and turned around to his son saying.

‘We need to split up. She’s not relenting!’ Lio realised what Rion meant, as he signalled the three other hunters to break off from the group to confront the beast directly. The moment Dr Ena saw the group splitting up, he shouted a piece of advice toward the hunters.

‘Be careful of her puddles of...’ But as the distance between them began increasing, they fell beyond earshot. As soon as Lunastra noticed the group splitting up, she began revaluating the situation, studying the separate groups individually. Before she could evaluate, she felt a sharp sensation on her left shoulder, as a metallic claw dug into her scales, bringing a small humanoid figure latched onto her now. Shortly after, she felt a heavy weight land at the joint, causing a wave of pain to course through her body as she jerked backwards to fling the pest off. Lio was holding on tightly, while trying to lodge his blade into her shoulder, but her scales were not only tough, they were burning. It was so hot, he found his hands beginning to scald, so he decided to let go, falling off to the side. Rhen was already in the air trying to aim at Lunastra’s wings with her quick flurry of strikes on the flesh. This was much easier said than done, due to the tough skeletal structure of its wings, the scales protected the fleshy portions extremely well from direct blows, making Rhen’s execution increasingly complicated. Eros shot his clutch claw at Lunastra’s tail, thinking that the furry appearance might be a reflection of its vulnerability, but he was sorely disappointed. The elongated tail was covered thoroughly in hard scales and were no less scorched with heat, causing Eros to struggle holding on to it for prolonged periods of time. He attempted a flurry of swift blows with his sword, each hit deflected effectively by Lunastra’s tough scales. Seeing that his efforts were for naught, he decided to let go and study his adversary again. Deimos took the most dangerous position; Lunastra’s face. He faced her with his shield up, deciding to play defensively. Lunastra was overflowing with rage and power, as her neck and mane began glowing blue. Without warning, Lunastra blew out a stream of orange flame from her mouth and stood up on her hind legs, flapping her wings forward. The wind she blew forward was so strong that it pushed Deimos back about a metre even with his shield up. The orange flame that exited her mouth turned into an azure flame the moment the strong wind pressure was delivered by her wings. Lunastra’s crackling blue energy somehow merged to change the colour of the flame, though the squad still did not know what that meant. The initial stream was blocked successfully by Deimos, but he looked down to see the ground laced with residual blue flame. He was standing amidst the flame, but there was no heat felt. The flame did not harm him, even though they were kissing his skin directly. Since they caused him no harm, he decided to ignore them for now. He now ran up, and retaliated with an overhead downward strike of his blade, colliding with her thick blue horns. The impact created a loud sound, as his sword rebounded.

At this juncture, Eros went for a second go at the tail, but this time he targeted the base of the tail, and went for the underside, which was considerably more vulnerable. He stabbed his blade into the flesh, lodging it successfully into Lunastra. The beast reacted to the sudden pain by sweeping her tail quickly to the side, sending Eros flying. The swinging of the tail smeared more of the blue flame on the ground, soon covering the area around them. Lio decided to go for one of the hind legs now, as he let his heavy blade fall onto Lunastra’s feet. The blade was about to land on her heel, but she turned her body around so that the sword hit her hip instead. The tough scales caused Lio’s blade to rebound and swing backwards violently. Seeing that he was momentarily immobilised, Lunastra turned her head to the side to let out a stream of fire before flapping her left wing violently toward Lio. A similar occurrence to Deimos now happened to Lio as the initial orange flame turned blue and greeted Lio’s face. He quickly swung his thick blade forward to cover his face, supporting the blade with one hand on the handle, and the other on the back of the blade. He took the blow directly, and was pushed back by the strong wind pressure as well. Similarly, the ground was littered in azure pools of flames, Lio now expressing the same confused look as he noticed how the flames did no harm to his body.

Eros got back on his feet quickly and ran toward where his blade was still lodged comfortably at the base of Lunastra’s tail. He found that the whole underside was vulnerable, so he decided to remove the blade, and landed a flurry of slashes around the now exposed wound. The toxin on his blade now entered her system and was quickly spreading within Lunastra as Deimos noticed Lunastra’s pupils dilating, and her lips beginning to turn purple. Despite Lunastra being clearly afflicted with such a potent toxin, she was not significantly weakened, in fact she was fighting with more vigor than before. Feeling the discomfort from her back return, she decided to turn around and swipe Eros with her right paw. Eros anticipated the strike, and rolled away into safety, causing Lunastra to miss her swipe. With her attention drawn away, Lio was now free to reattempt landing his blow on Lunastra’s hind leg. This time, he managed to hit her heel directly, causing some of her tough scales to dent and chip. This sudden impact caused Lunastra to topple to her side and collapse. Rhen saw this opportunity and landed quickly with a downward strike onto the flesh of Lunastra’s wings. While Rhen was deadly in the air, she was even more so on land, as she was now able to land a flurry of uninterrupted and considerably more accurate strikes on Lunastra’s wings as she swung her glaive in a graceful rhythmic motion. Lunastra quickly regained her footing, but just as she was about to retaliate, the paralysing venom kicked in, locking her muscles in place. Seeing that Lunastra was immobilised, Deimos turned his dial to the ice element, and swung his axe overhead, allowing gravity to marry it with Lunastra’s horns. The downward strike was too accurate, landing his axe directly on the crown of Lunastra’s horns, causing his axe to rebound. Impossible, Deimos thought. No creature was ever able to deflect his axe. So he decided to try a different angle, seeing that Lunastra was still trying to recover from the paralysis. So he swung his axe sideways and collided it Lunastra’s left cheek, where nothing but her mane protected the face. The thick fur did little to protect the creature, as the impact unleashed an explosion of ice, lowering the temperature around her face drastically and quickly. Coupled with the heavy impact of Deimos’ weapon, her now cooled down horns were brittle and vulnerable. Lio noticed this as the blue crackling momentarily halted around Lunastra, so he rushed over to the side of Lunastra’s face, and swung his greatsword overhead, and landed on the same spot Deimos’ axe deflected previously. This time, her left horn cracked, causing Lunastra to not only break out of the paralysis, but retreat a few steps back. Lunastra was now left panting and staring at her adversaries. She quickly recollected herself as she heated up her body once again by crackling the very air around her, melting the ice around her face almost instantly and regaining her magnificent bluish glow.

Lio took the chance to scour their surroundings to see if the other three made it safely. He did not want to risk too long a confrontation with this Elder, and wanted to retreat the very instant the opportunity arose. He caught a glimpse of them, quite a distance away and almost at the mountains, so he turned to the other three hunters and shouted.

‘The others are almost at the mountains, I think we can start retreating as well.’ Rhen then turned and frowned at Lio saying.

‘If we go now, aren’t we just gonna get everyone killed? We need to climb that mountain and in case you haven’t noticed, this thing has wings!’ Rhen was right, that was another problem. Getting to the mountain was not good enough, they had to scale it, and with Lunastra here, that was suicide. Lio’s mind was now flustered, thinking really hard of a solution. Lunastra was not about to allow that time to think, as she let out a thick stream of orange fire in front of her toward the four hunters. They rolled out of the way, Eros and Rhen to the right, Deimos and Lio to the left. The orange flame missed them completely, but when it touched the azure flame on the ground, the puddles exploded violently, causing a pulse of energy to emit outward. When neighbouring pools received the same input, they too exploded, causing a nasty chain reaction. The whole area that was covered in the seemingly benevolent puddles of harmless flames were now igniting and exploding. Deimos’ shield did him no good as it could not shield his legs, so all of them ran around, dodging the pools as if they were in a minefield.

‘So that’s what Dr Ena was warning us about!’ Rhen shouted. The four hunters were on edge, as they were concurrently trying to figure out a way to safely get out of this situation. They had no confidence in bringing the Elder down, but had to come up with a safe escape plan quickly. And when things felt like they couldn’t get any worse, Deimos asked out loud.

‘Where is Teostra?’

‘I’m going back for them.’ Rhodes turned around the moment Rion and Dr Ena were safely at the base of the mountain. Rion grabbed her arm and replied.

‘They’re fine, and they will know that we’re here safely. The last thing they need is a distraction.’ Rhodes trusted Rion’s advice and decided not to struggle with him.

‘How are they going to get back safely? They will inevitably bring Lunastra back here too. They either have to kill it or...’ Dr Ena then introduced the second problem.

‘There is another problem. We have to scale the mountain to reach the Coral Highlands. But with Lunastra around, that will be impossible.’ Rion then looked at Dr Ena and said.

‘Is there no other way past this ridge?’ Dr Ena fell silently as he was thinking of a response. Rhodes then replied.

‘How about underground? Is there any way down?’ Dr Ena’s eyes lit up as he heard this and answered.

‘Yes! There is a path down to the Rotten Vale. We can traverse it and ascend directly upward towards the Coral Highlands. That would spare us further confrontation with Luna. What do you think commander?’ Rion’s face was clearly troubled with that detour, but he was also fully aware of the limitations set before him. After a while, Rion reluctantly replied.

‘We will go under.’

Lio was even more frantic now that Deimos highlighted the fact that Teostra is gone. While the initially docile creature paid them no heed, the introduction of Lunastra clearly riled it up, making it a potential threat. And now that it was nowhere to be found, it could either mean great or unsettling news. However, before anyone could react, Lunastra’s attention was now drawn to the sky as she looked upward. The squad followed her gaze as they noticed a large shadow appear on the ground, getting larger by the second. It was Teostra, flying overhead and looking down at Lunastra. The two locked eyes, but the gaze was anything but friendly. Teostra let out another loud roar, with Lunastra replying to it with a slightly softer roar. Lunastra spread her wings and bared her teeth in full majesty, clearly unamused by Teostra’s display of dominance. Teostra’s body was now crackling with energy, as his fur and scales began glowing orange, and eventually turning into an intense red. Lunastra reacted in a similar way, with her body glowing blue. Lunastra then took flight, circling around Teostra and flying above him, now looking down at him. Tesotra looked up and responded by circling upward as well, the two now levelled and facing each other.

‘What is going on?’ Eros asked.

‘I think they’re having sex...’ Rhen replied. Deimos was beginning to feel the atmosphere heat up uncomfortably quickly, and he turned to Lio to ask.

‘You feel that?’ Lio nodded.

The intense heat could be felt even from where Rion was, causing Rhodes to get increasingly worried as she walked up a dune near them to get a better view of the hunters. As she reached the top, she couldn’t see the hunters but she saw the two airborne Elders now dancing in the air, glowing and crackling with energy. Her eyes were filled with both excitement and fear, as she shouted.

‘Teostra and Lunastra are bonding!’ At this, Dr Ena rushed up to the dune next to Rhodes and caught the spectacle. Dr Ena’s face was one of excitement only, clearly appreciating how rare an opportunity like this was. But soon the realisation that their friends are currently caught in the middle of this dangerous ritual hit Dr Ena, wiping the smile off of his face. He turned to look at Rhodes, both of them knowing what will happen next. The two then turned toward the direction of where they last saw their hunters and shouted as loudly as they could in that direction.

‘RUN!’

The hunters heard the yell from behind them, and Rhen elbowed Eros saying.

‘Dude! Your conscience is so loud I can hear it. Keep it down!’ Lio and Deimos started backing off as Lio said.

‘I think we should listen to it. Let’s get out of here!’ The squad then immediately sheathed their weapons and raced away from the two glowing beasts. The two Elders were now at their peak, causing the air around them to begin combusting, polluting the environment with both the sound and the smell of burning air. Lunastra then descended, landing below Teostra as the two extended their wings in full view as they erupted into an explosion of both colour and energy. The bright radiant orange merged with the cool blue sparkles, creating a mesmerising yet devastating spectacle. The joined supernova destroyed everything around them, turning them to ash and leaving burnt marks everywhere but themselves. The azure puddles were dancing amidst this ritual, and they too erupted upward when the supernovas were unleashed, extinguishing it shortly after. After the ritual was done, Teostra, still airborne, was now just a plain shade of red, as he flew away into the distance. Lunastra remained landed, and stretched out her blue wings before letting out a persistent roar. She turned around to find the intruders but they were nowhere to be found, so she lay down, and decided to rest, tending to her wounds.

The hunters barely made it out of that deadly dance and were now reunited with the rest of the group. Rion was the first to speak up.

‘Thank you, all of you. Glad to see everyone’s back in one piece.’ Dr Ena then spoke up in anticipation.

‘You must tell me everything about your confrontation with Lunastra! There is so little recorded about her, we must...’ Rion placed his hand on Dr Ena’s right shoulder, stopping him, before he continued addressing the group.

‘We have decided to head downward to the Rotten Vale, since Lunastra won’t likely allow us to scale these walls, I don’t think we have much of a choice.’ Deimos and Lio nodded obediently, Eros and Rhen agreed quickly, but their response were coupled with a look of reluctance.

‘Now, let’s get out of here quickly. I don’t want to risk another fight with her.’ Rion then quickly gathered the group as they adjourned toward a crack at the base of the mountain that led underground. The moment they set foot into the opening, the cave-like structure of the path cooled the air immediately. It was dark, but the entrance was still sneaking in some light for the group to see where they were going. The path was narrow, such that the team were forced to walk in a single file. Before long, the path opened up into a large open area with a deep gorge in the middle, with a clear path spiralling downward. The top of this area had holes in the ceiling, inviting beams of sunlight to enter, allowing a little bit of fresh air from the surface to ventilate the caverns. Rion turned to the group and suggested they take a break for the sake of the hunters, who just faced off a fearsome Elder Dragon.

‘Lunastra. Now what the hell was that all about?’ Lio asked the group while they sat in a circle on the floor. Dr Ena then explained.

‘Lunastra only appears during the mating season, which even we scholars have never been able to identify when that is. From a research point of view, this was an extraordinary encounter, but from a hunter’s point of view...’ Dr Ena looked at the hunters with a gratfeul expression. Rhen then looked at the doctor in the eyes as she asked.

‘And what was that aerial sex all about? Nearly fried half the Wastes with us along with it!’ Dr Ena’s excitement returned as he explained.

‘Ohh, the bonding ritual of the two, it is a marvel to behold. That is how Lunastra finds her mate, the two perform a bonding ritual as all of you have just witnessed, and depending on the intensity and resonance of the supernova, that will determine whether they are a perfect match or not. And even after they have identified each other as their partners, they regularly perform this ritual to strengthen their bond as a couple. It’s a deadly ritual because...’ Dr Ena was then interrupted by Deimos.

‘Everything around them dies?’ Dr Ena then turned to Deimos and clarified without nodding.

‘Not just around them. You see, quite literally, their fire is being tested in this ritual, and if they are not meant for each other, one of their supernovas will kill the other.’ Eros and Rhen started frowning at this, clearly confused at how this part of nature worked. Dr Ena then continued. ‘It is a very direct and crude way of thinning the herd, ensuring that only the fittest survive. That’s how nature works.’ Dr Ena gave everyone a moment to digest what he was saying, before throwing them a question. ‘So, how was the fight between you and the magnificent azure beast?’ The Eros and Rhen were disinterested in talking about the fight so Deimos enlightened the doctor with detailed observations.

‘Well, like Teostra, it seemed as though she protects herself with a layer of heat. The heat, interestingly, toughens her scales rather than softens it, quite the opposite from a creature like Glavenus.’ Dr Ena was taking notes while diligently listening to Deimos’ input as he continued. ‘Lunastra also had this weird glow, where the air around her would constantly crackle with this blue energy...’ Dr Ena then interrupted Deimos saying.

‘Ohh that’s a combustible dust that is released by Luna herself. When fused with a normal flame, it creates a blue version of fire as we know it, except that it has unique properties. Lunastra’s whole body is covered in this dust, and we have found that it is the most concentrated on her wings. We don’t really know why...’ Deimos then pieced the puzzle on his own, remembering that most moves that Lunastra performed that left azure puddles on the floor were always followed up by a wing flap. He shared this information with Dr Ena, causing him to once again pique with excitement.

‘Doctor, can you tell us more about her blue flame? Why does it not hurt when we touch it?’ Lio asked.

‘Of course. The blue dust as mentioned when coming in contact with a naked flame simply turns it blue, but it also protects it. Meaning it forms a very thin layer over the flame, giving it both its new colour as well as keeping the heat energy inside, away from the environment. The moment it is primed, however...’ Lio then completed his sentence.

‘It explodes.’ Dr Ena nodded, continuing.

‘Yes. When a second flame or energy source is applied, this thin layer is broken, and the stored energy is released into its surroundings. Combined with the new source of energy, this eruption now hits twice as hard, which explains my original warning to you guys. Which was to not stand in these puddles, for they are quite literally a ticking time bomb, awaiting Lunastra’s ignition.’ The hunters were thankful that none of them were standing directly on top one of these puddles during Lunastra’s attacks, the image of the puddles igniting still burning clearly in their minds. With Dr Ena finishing up the last of his notes, Rion then changed the subject quickly to the situation ahead of them.

‘So, we are headed to the Rotten Vale. Maybe you can brief us on what to expect and what to look out for, doctor?’ Dr Ena was folding his notepad before turning to Rion and nodded.

‘Of course, commander. So the Rotten Vale lies in the bowels of the New World. It lays hidden, and far away from the surface, perfect conditions for rot and decay to thrive. It is a place where creatures come to die, it is truly a natural wonder.’ The team were clearly not empathetic toward the doctor’s excitement. ‘Because the Vale holds so much rot and decay, very few creatures have managed survive in it, let alone call it their home. But of course, there are always some who have managed to adapt to its conditions, finding a way to survive in its harsh conditions. Creatures like the Odogaron, for example. A fierce and territorial scavenger that scours the Vale tirelessly in search of scraps that it lives off. Its prolonged exposure to the rotted environment has also caused its own skin and flesh to rot, exposing naught but its muscles. Its body has therefore conditioned its muscles to harden, replacing the skin as a protective layer. It has also grown a second layer of claws and teeth, allowing for the creature to tear through flesh easily and fight off competition since food is so scarce.’ All this information was beginning to scare the group, everyone except Rhodes and Rion. Rhen then voiced out and asked.

‘So... Zombie land then? Everything there is either half dead or entirely dead.’ Dr Ena had difficulty responding to Rhen because of the way she put things, despite them sometimes being amazingly accurate. He took awhile to process her statement, before giving her an unconvincing nod.

‘Not to mention the smell... Phew...!’ Rhodes reminded the group. Dr Ena then perked his brows when he heard that.

‘Ohh, thank you for mentioning that. The smell is from the effluvia, a noxious gas that is generated from the sheer amount of rotting bodies in the Vale. While it is toxic to us, it is the life force of all creatures in the Vale for it is abundant in nutrients.’ Eros then asked.

‘If it is so rich in nutrients, then why is it toxic to us?’ Dr Ena then turned to Eros and replied.

‘Just like the mandragora, my dear boy. It can be a deadly parasite, or a wondrous remedy. In small amounts, the effluvia might even be medically benign, providing rich nutrients into our system. However the Vale is not only concentrated with it, but our bodies were never meant to handle the effluvia in that manner and in such large quantities. As such, it will choke us to death instead. So prolonged periods in the Vale are not recommended.’ Rhodes then added.

‘Keep your fires away as well, the nutrients found in the effluvia are highly combustible. You won’t want an explosion to happen in your face.’ Dr Ena nodded, appreciative of the meaningful input from Rhodes. Rion then threw another question at the doctor.

‘And how long will we need to make it to the Highlands?’ Dr Ena then looked at the commander with a disappointed look.

‘I’m not sure, because of the effluvia, we scholars have never been able to make meaningfully long journeys in the Vale, let alone study it. As such, our information on the area is sadly minimal. But I can estimate about a day or two.’ Rion then placed his hand over his chin, displaying his signature thinking position. Rion then looked up and asked once more.

‘Do you think it is worth a try to scale the mountain and skip the detour to the Vale entirely? There may be a chance we can wait for Lunastra to move on.’ The group were keen on Rion’s plan, but Dr Ena was a little hesitant.

‘In all honesty commander, I don’t think that is a good idea. Not only is Lunastra unlikely to move, but the mountains are high. And scaling it is not only dangerous, but foolish as well.’ Rion then questioned.

‘Foolish? How so?’ Dr Ena now pointed at the holes in the ceiling of the cavern that generously brought in sunlight as they entered. They were now darkened, with very little to no light entering now. The angle that they were looking up to was facing the direction of the highlands, and they saw that the sky was starting to turn pitch black.

‘The weather is changing drastically out there, I can see the speed in which the clouds are moving, a storm is brewing near the highlands, and it would be unwise to traverse high altitudes in these conditions.’ The whole squad now turned to look at the blackened sky above them, suddenly feeling grateful for the protection of the cold dead rocks this godforsaken cavern provided them with. Lio and Deimos gathered some dried leaves and twigs found around the barren cave, and made a small fire to light up the place and provide a little warmth. The team huddled up closely as Eros threw a random comment.

‘I’ve never seen rain clouds move so fast. The supernova must’ve really pushed them hard! Haha...’ Dr Ena then turned to him, with no smile across his face as he said.

‘The speed the storm clouds are moving is not the result of the supernova. It is the work of another powerful being. Likely a Kirin.’ Rhen then turned to Rion and said.

‘Honestly sir, after facing Lunastra, swimming in poop suddenly doesn’t sound like a terrible idea anymore.’ Rion looked down at the dwindling flame as he muttered in response to the group.

‘Very well. Into the bowels then.’


	23. Death begets Life

The team rested for about an hour, recollecting themselves and getting ready for the journey ahead into the Rotten Vale. It was going to be treacherous and a rather unpleasant path the team was going to embark on, but given that their choice was between putrid smells and taking on another Elder, the descent was becoming an increasingly attractive option. The squad extinguished the already dwindling flame as they picked up their equipment and went on their way down the rocky spiral path. The cool air of the cave that greeted them at the entrance was slowly turning heavy. A familiar humid sensation was starting to fill their lungs as moisture accompanied the air that was inhaled, however the air wasn’t light, it was rather heavy with musk. As the team continued their descent, they were gradually deprived of the light from the surface, darkening the area around them.

‘I can’t see shit!’ Rhen commented.

‘Need a mirror...?’ Deimos replied as he wrapped an old cloth round a bunch of wooden twigs. He coated the cloth in oil and lighted it with a match. He passed one to Rion, one to Lio and one to Eros, who was walking with Rhodes in the middle of the group. The torches brought the much needed light that lit up the way for the team, the contrasting darkness of their surroundings was making the torches seem brighter than they really are. Phobos started hugging Deimos’ neck as they descended further, clearly feeling uneasy.

‘Don’t worry buddy, I’m here...’ Deimos said as he patted Phobos’ furry head, hoping that would release his grip on his neck, feeling his claws starting to sink into his flesh. Unfortunately, his grip didn’t loosen, so Deimos exerted a little force, pulling Phobos away from his neck. This left prominent red claw marks on Deimos’ neck, causing him to use his left hand to rub over the agitated flesh. Phobos released his grip but was now shaking on Deimos’ shoulder.

‘What’s wrong buddy?’ Deimos turned to Phobos and grabbed him, laying him down on his left arm, cradling him like a baby and placing his right hand on his belly. Phobos stared upward at Deimos, and placed his paw on Deimos’ right hand, urging him not to remove it. Deimos smiled at him and muttered.

‘You big baby...’ Lio walked up to Deimos’ side to see what was happening, and saw Phobos cuddled comfortably in Deimos’ arms as he reached out with his free hand to tickle Phobos’ belly.

‘What a lucky palico, I’m jealous.’ Lio said casually without looking at Deimos. Deimos then turned to Lio with a smirk on his face, transitioning his right hand from Phobos’ belly to Lio’s chest. Deimos then began the same scratching motion on Lio’s bare skin with his finger nails, causing Lio to immediately jerk backwards, laughing.

‘Not like that dude!’ Deimos then closed the distance between them, continuing to try and claw at Lio’s bare skin. The two began running around like little children with Deimos chasing after Lio, before realising the team was not waiting for them. Deimos then ran ahead closing the distance with Lio chasing after him.

‘I spy with my little eye, something... Orange...’ Rhen and Eros then scanned their surroundings for anything that was orange in colour. Rhen then shouted.

‘The torch!’ Rhodes shook her head. Eros then guessed.

‘That nitroshroom!’ Rhodes shook her head, with a smile now appearing on her face.

‘Phobos!’ Rhen turned around and pointed at the fur ball still laying on Deimos’ left arm. Rhodes then shook her head. Rhen now pointed at Deimos’ right chest region and shouted.

‘Deimos’ right nipple!’ Rhodes then frowned at her and replied.

‘That’s not even orange.’ Rhen then turned back to Rhodes and rebutted.

‘It’s brown! Pink, whatever, close enough!’ Deimos was staring at them with a confused look, wondering why they were arguing over the colour of his tit.

‘No, I wasn’t referring to his nipple Rhen. Why would I... Nevermind.’ Eros now found himself staring once again at Deimos’ exposed body. He missed it and yearned to embrace it again, the urge never really left him. Then as if to intentionally break his trance on Deimos’ body, he turned and said.

‘That poison cup!’ Rhodes smiled at him and nodded. Rhen pouted as she found herself losing at a game she suggested they played. So she grabbed Deimos’ right arm, dragging him closer to the three of them.

‘Let’s play Never-Have-I-Ever instead.’ Rhodes and Eros nodded obediently, but Deimos was frowning as he shook his head. Rhen then started shaking his arm violently.

‘Ohh com’on wonder boy. Don’t be such a damper!’ At this point Phobos jumped up from his arm and raised his right paw in the air in excitement.

‘See? Even Phobos wants to play. Lio! You wanna play?’ Lio then came forward and replied.

‘Yeah sure!’ Deimos then frowned at Lio before turning back to Rhen and sighed saying.

‘Fine...’

‘Yes...!’ Rhen exclaimed, elbowing her right arm downwards with her fist clenched. Rhen then started saying.

‘Never have I ever kissed a guy before!’ Rhen then turned and gave Deimos a cheeky smirk. Everyone stared at Rhen as she arrogantly raised her right hand high up in the air, smiling to herself. Eros and Deimos looked at each other and sighed as they kept their hands down. Deimos then turned to Lio, seeing him creep his hand upward before Deimos slapped it back down. Phobos also had his right paw arrogantly raised. Everyone was preparing for the next question, when Rhen’s eyes suddenly enlarged as she stared at Rhodes’ hands still by her side.

‘WOMAN! You’ve kissed a guy before?!’ Rhodes nodded.

‘Tell! Tell us! Who? When? Where? Why? How?’ Rhodes raised her hands to calm Rhen down before speaking.

‘Well it was quite awhile ago, when I was still in military school. There was this charming intelligent guy, he was chasing me. It didn’t take much effort, since I was interested in him as well. We spend all our time with each other studying, eating, and doing nothing. 3 years we were together, until I decided that I wanted to be handler and study the world in a more direct manner, collecting samples, going out to the wild, you know?’ Rhodes slowed down as she surveyed her now very attentive audience. ‘Unfortunately he didn’t feel the same way and was disinterested. So we parted.’ Everyone flashed Rhodes a frown except Lio, who was nodding, knowing exactly how that felt like.

‘Well I’m sure you had your fair share of intimacy within that 3 years before it ended!’ Rhodes then turned to Rhen and chuckled.

‘We were never a touchy couple. Our desires were of each other’s minds, interests and personalities. Our attraction to each other was beyond the physical, so the only physical contact I had with him was a kiss, despite it being a farewell kiss.’ Deimos now glared at Rhen and elbowed her gently, causing her to cup her mouth with both her hands. Eros then asked.

‘I never knew any of this! What was his name?’ Rhodes smiled at Eros and answered.

‘His name was Proeus. I found his name beautiful, and I still do.’ Rhodes noticed the atmosphere getting a little tensed, so she decided to stop and divert the attention elsewhere. ‘So Lio, I noticed your hand remained down too. Who did you give your first kiss to?’ Lio then smiled, clarifying.

‘Do you wanna know who I gave my first kiss to or which was the first guy I kissed?’

‘There’s a difference?’ Rhen asked. Rhodes then nudged her saying.

‘Pfft, if he put it like that, then clearly there is! We wanna know both!’ Lio then laughed out loud and began telling them his story about the two relationships he had.

‘So my first kiss was given to my girlfriend of 5 years. And the first guy I kissed was...’ Lio then turned to Deimos, and placed his left hand firmly on Deimos’ right shoulder. Rhen and Deimos enlarged their eyes as they stared at Lio in shock. Eros then verbalised their silent thoughts.

‘Wait, you were with a guy for a year and the two of you didn’t kiss?’ Lio looked at Eros and shook his head. Rhen then continued.

‘And you were together with this shithead for what, a few weeks, and you’ve already kissed?’ Deimos then turned to Rhen with a menacing frown now appearing on his face. Lio maintained the smile on his face as he explained.

‘I always believed in holding back and not rushing into intimacy, but after my previous partner... well, left, I realised all I had was regret and I hated that feeling. So I guess now I’m trying to learn from that mistake. Besides...’ Lio now turned to Deimos, placing his left hand now under Deimos’ chin. ‘It’s easy opening up when you’re with someone stiffer than you.’ Deimos pushed Lio away while returning a smirk.

‘So your partner left you because you guys didn’t have enough physical contact? Guys are so superficial man...’ Lio then turned to Rhen and clarified in a much louder tone.

‘My partner was killed during one of our hunts.’ At this point, even Rion heard Lio and stopped to turn around and check in on the commotion. Deimos let out a sigh and closed his eyes, tilting his head downward. Rhen immediately turned to Lio and asked.

‘Killed? What?! How?!’ Lio was a little surprised at how calm Rhen still was, unshaken by his sudden increase in volume. So he answered her question and explained the incident to her.

‘Nergi, I see. Well, now that I know that, I’m surprised you just stopped at a kiss with wonder boy.’ Rhen now turned to Deimos and gave him a wink. Deimos was blushing a little, turning to Lio nervously to see how he was going to respond. Lio then confidently replied.

‘Haha, gotta keep things interesting right?’ Lio then turned to Deimos, winking as he continued. ‘Can’t serve all the courses at one go.’ Deimos felt a surge of warm energy coursing through his body, both from anticipation and embarrassment. Deimos then turned to see Rhodes and Eros laughing at how visibly uncomfortable he was, which ironically gave him a little comfort. Rhen then spared him of the awkwardness by saying.

‘Ok, so who’s next? How about lover boy?’ Eros pointed at himself with a surprised look on his face.

‘Go on, say something you haven’t done.’

‘Uhh... Ok. Never have I uhh...’ Eros was thinking really hard, and Rhen started getting impatient.

‘Never have you ever...’

‘Never have I ever...’ Eros obediently repeated.

‘Never have you ever masturbated...’

‘Never have I ever mastur... What?’

‘GET ON WITH YOUR STATEMENT!’

‘Ok ok! How about never have I ever kissed a girl? I don’t know...’ Rhen frowned at him and jerked backwards.

‘You’re so boring! Say something else!’ At this point she noticed Rhodes’ and Eros’ hands were already proudly in the air, together with Deimos’ as well. Lio was salty that he still couldn’t put his arm up as he rolled his eyes in disappointment. Rhodes then placed her hand on Eros’ back as she said.

‘Nahh uhh... He already said it, so Rhen, have you ever kissed a girl before?’ Rhodes taunted with her arm still raised in the air. Rhen pouted and crossed her arms, looking away.

‘Seriously?’ Deimos asked her.

‘It was a dare, and there was money involved. I mean I’m pretty sure you would do it if someone paid you right?’ Deimos shrugged his shoulder. Rhen then frowned at him.

‘You’re a slut, com’on, you’d do anything for money!’ Deimos then reposition his raised hand and directed it to Rhen’s face, but was blocked by her own arm before it connected. Rhodes then probed.

‘Is that it? You sure there’s nothing more to that story?’ Rhen then reluctantly disclosed.

‘Yeah ok we had sex afterwards, but that was because she was hot alright? It was just a fling, nothing to it. I mean, it was consensual, she wanted to do it, I was curious, and it happened!’ Deimos’ eyes widened as he continued staring at Rhen.

‘So you’re interested in girls?’ Eros asked innocently. Rhen then went up to him and placed her hand under his chin.

‘My dear boy, I’m interested in people. I mean...’ Rhen now turned back to Deimos. ‘I can play with any toy you give me!’ Rhen then suddenly slid her hand into Deimos’ coil, causing him to jerk and push her away as she burst out laughing. Lio was also laughing, but was stopped short when Deimos shot him a glare. Rhen then threw herself onto Deimos again and placed her right hand on his exposed abdomen, and slid it upward to his chest as she continued saying. ‘I mean how hard can it be to please a man? Just rub the shaft until it leaks.’ Deimos was getting very uncomfortable as he placed his right hand on Rhen’s face, pushing her away from him. Eros and Lio were laughing and responded as they nodded.

‘Well, she’s not wrong...’ Deimos was spared from the uncomfortable conversation when Rhen suddenly turned to Phobos and screamed.

‘Phobos has kissed a girl before! His paw isn’t up!’ Phobos immediately looked up to Deimos with eyes screaming, ‘save me!’ Deimos flashed Phobos a smirk, thinking this was his time to get some revenge, so he asked.

‘So, what have you been up to huh? It’s ok, you can tell me!’ Phobos then shook his tiny head frantically, looking as if on the verge of tears. Deimos patted his head and said.

‘Ok ok, you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to.’ Rhen pouted in disappointment, looking forward to the feline love story. She then turned to Lio and said.

‘Well, your turn simba.’ Lio nodded as he looked down, deep in thought.

‘Hmm... Ohh I know! Never have I ever used a charge blade before!’ Deimos immediately turned to him and pushed him forcefully on his left shoulder with his right hand.

‘You fucker...’ Deimos muttered while he flashed Lio a brief smile. Everyone had their hands raised, unsurprisingly. Deimos was already thinking of what he would say for the next round, when Rhodes exclaimed as she stared at Eros.

‘You’ve wielded a charge blade before? How come I didn’t know about it?’ Eros then nervously looked at Deimos and said.

‘Well, I uhh... Sort of borrowed Deimos’ charge blade back in the Old World during... Practice...’ Deimos perked his eyebrows and was now looking at Eros, urging him to disclose more details. So Eros continued, now turned toward Deimos.

‘It was during our final assessment in the third year? The both of us managed to clear the tests rather quickly, so we had some time to kill. So while you went to take a break at the canteen, I kind of took your charge blade and tried it during my practice run against a Great Jagras...’ Deimos looked at him and said.

‘So that was why my strap was a little tighter than usual. I had an argument with Phobos over that...’ Eros then placed his right hand behind his head as he chuckled nervously.

‘Haha... Yeah, sorry about that...’ Deimos pushed Phobos back on his right shoulder, and went up to Eros, wrapping his now free left arm around him, and pulling him in toward his chest. Eros was now looking up at Deimos who locked eyes with him while flashing him a reassuring smile. Rhen then broke up the two saying.

‘Guys please, don’t make me vomit. Deimos, it’s your turn to...’

‘Apologies to break up your little game, but we’re here.’ Rion announced as he turned back to look at the hunters behind. The team was at the base of the spiral abyss, where an opening stood in front of them. The hole had a strange bluish glow emitting from it. Confused, Rion enquired.

‘Doctor, what is that?’

‘I’m... Not sure commander...’ Rion was a little uneasy with that answer. He hated working with uncertainties, but he realised that he had no choice but to get comfortable with them, especially during this journey which brought them to unfamiliar grounds. Rion advanced slowly toward the opening as a choking smell began to fill the air, and the group began finding it difficult to breathe. Dr Ena turned around to the group and said.

‘Everyone grab a cloth and place it over your face, don’t breathe in the effluvia directly.’ The team was now entering the cave with their mouths and noses covered, making each breath more tiresome but less choking. As the team entered through the hole, the narrow corridors opened up into a huge cavern. Even larger than the one they were in when they were recuperating. The region was vile, with rotted flesh hanging from the walls and bones littered all over the premises, with endemic life scavenging on the little food that lay in the area. The source of the bluish glow was now visible but no less puzzling to the group. While Rion, Eros and Rhen went ahead to scout the foreign environment, the rest stayed by the entrance where the bluish glow originated from. It was coming from what looked like a river of glowing teal, transparent fluid. It was sizzling and steaming, which was incredibly unusual, considering the team did not know what it was.

‘I’ve never seen a river like this before, the water is so...’ Deimos quickly grabbed Dr Ena’s arm as he advanced ignorantly toward the foreign liquid. Deimos then hesitantly picked up a small bone on the floor, and dipped it into the fluid. The moment the bone touched the fluid, the sizzling intensified as it corroded the bone. The bone began to turn black and crumbled as its integrity collapsed before their eyes. Dr Ena’s eyes enlarged and turned towards Deimos saying.

‘Thank you very much, my boy’. Deimos couldn’t smile because the presence of this liquid in a place like this was exceedingly curious. Rhodes then started thinking out loud.

‘Acid? Why are there pools of acid here? And why is it in such abundant amounts?’ Dr Ena was equally curious and had no answer for Rhodes as he too remained in silence, staring at the pools of acid in front of them. Deimos then started looking around their vicinity in the hopes of finding something helpful in telling them more about the Vale. He went up to the walls, and started running his hands along the walls. It was stone, no doubt, but it was laced with a sort of viscous liquid, sort of like a protective mucus. He gave it a whiff, and to no one’s surprise, the pungent smell made him gag. His eyes traced the stone walls vertically upward as the cold black stone slowly turned into a reddish brown rusted colour. He saw the flesh hanging from these coloured parts but was just out of reach. So he turned to Lio and said.

‘Hey, give me a hand.’ Lio turned to the sound of Deimos, and ran over to help him. Lio knelt down in front of Deimos with his back facing the wall. He lifted his left knee, allowing Deimos to step on it. Deimos stepped on it, and placed his hands on Lio’s shoulders to maintain his balance, releasing them only when he was confident. Deimos reached up but found that he was still out of reach, so he advanced his step up onto Lio’s shoulder.

‘Yup, that’s fine, go ahead.’ Lio was clearly not expecting that quick and suddenly advancement as he used his hand to hold onto Deimos’ boots. Deimos managed to reach the dangling flesh, and held onto to, attempting to rip a small piece off. As he pulled, he noticed that the small piece of flesh was not stuck on the wall, but instead was part of a larger chunk that was within the wall. He was initially puzzled as to what kind of creature managed to get stuck within the walls of the cave, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised the flaw in his train of thought. So he excitedly pulled the flesh forcefully, ripping a small piece off of the wall, causing him to fall backward. Lio felt the sudden jerk, and raised his hands up to support Deimos’ weight on his buttocks as he slipped from Lio’s shoulders. Lio instinctively pulled Deimos inward toward his body, which caused Deimos’ pelvis to hit directly into Lio’s face, causing him to fall backward.

‘Ow...rgghh...’ Lio’s muffled groan was hardly audible, since he had Deimos’ pelvis now stuffed in his face. Deimos was still a little shocked as he helped himself up, looking down to see himself sitting on Lio’s face.

‘Ohh shit! You ok?’ Deimos got up immediately and pulled Lio up. Lio used his left hand to rub the back of his head.

‘Is this how you get back at me? Remind me not to ever piss you off again...’ Deimos was chuckling as he started dusting off the dirt from Lio’s body. As Lio regained his consciousness, he looked at Deimos and asked him.

‘So what were you trying to reach for?’

‘Meat’

‘What? Isn’t my meat enough?’ Lio said calmly while staring at his groin. Deimos stared at Lio unimpressed, as he threw the rotten flesh at Lio.

‘Ewww! What in the...’ Lio was now juggling the rotten flesh, feeling the gooey sensation reach his hands for the first time. Deimos was now making his way back to the two who were still by the acid puddle.

‘I think I might have an idea about the acid.’ The two stared at each other before looking at Deimos with hopeful eyes, awaiting his response.

‘I suspect we are inside a creature, and this is its stomach acid.’ Rhodes was a little sceptical but Dr Ena was deep in thought as he prompted Deimos.

‘Go on, young man.’

‘I thought the acid was just a coincidence, but look at the flesh hanging from the cave walls. They are not from a foreign source, the flesh is coming from the walls...’ Rhodes frowned at Deimos and clarified.

‘Did you say, from the walls? How is that possible? Unless...’ Dr Ena’s eyes lit up as he responded.

‘Unless the cave was formed inside the creature and not the other way round... Fascinating... But it is quite a bold conclusion, I think we need more evidence before we can safely...’ Dr Ena was interrupted as they saw Rion running back to them, panting as he said.

‘All of you, come with me, now!’ The four of them got up and rushed over to Rion. As they followed Rion, the cave began enlarging, with the ceiling rising up higher, and the walls expanding wider, before exploding into a large open area with much larger pools of acids and the cave walls now almost invisible due to the vast volume of the new region they just entered. Despite its huge size, the area was still enclosed, however unlike the previous area, this one was brimming with life. Multiple species of fungi and flora were blooming in this rotten wasteland, absorbing the remains of creatures that found their way into this abyssal sanctuary. While the place reeked of death, life was never too far away. Rion brought the four of them to where Rhen and Eros were, standing under a huge structure above them and looking up in awe. Rion stopped Dr Ena a little further back so that he could get a better view of the structure before Rion asked him.

‘Any idea what that is, doctor?’ Dr Ena’s eyes sparkled as the last piece of the missing puzzle lay before his very eyes. He looked up and saw what seemed like the upper jaw of a massive beast, along with large fangs hanging from the ceiling. Dr Ena could confirm that it belonged to a carnivorous creature. The next question would be which? A creature this large was difficult to fathom, especially since they had other pieces of the mystery that they still needed to consider. But before getting ahead of himself, Dr Ena turned behind and looked at Deimos saying.

‘You brilliant young man, I think you were right. It does look like we’re inside a creature. The only question now is which? Which creature is large enough to feed and house an entire ecosystem around itself?’

‘What do you mean we’re inside a creature? Aren’t we in the Rotten Vale?’ Dr Ena then turned to Rion and explained.

‘Apologies commander, but let me explain. Deimos found flesh hanging from the walls and when he tried to remove it, he said that the flesh was part of the wall, as if coming from it, which led him to suggest that this cave isn’t really a cave, but inside a monster, one that is extremely large. It also helped explain the presence of this peculiar acid, because under normal conditions, acids are not stable enough to maintain their chemical integrity, and usually react with other chemicals or simply break down. And now that you have shown us this structure, it seems to suggest that we are now inside the said creature’s mouth.’ Rion took a minute to absorb everything the doctor just threw at him, before he opened his mouth to say.

‘So you’re suggesting that the Rotten Vale is...’

‘The remains of a monster, yes.’ Rion looked back up at the gigantic jaw hanging from the ceiling before muttering to himself.

‘Which creature, indeed...’ Rhen and Eros were now running back to the group where they joined the rest. As much as they wanted to continue this conversation, the effluvia was beginning to penetrate through their trivial cloth protection, so Rion suggested that they retreated back to the cave from whence they came.

‘We’ll make camp here and rest for the night.’ After Rion gave the order, Lio, Deimos and Eros put down their tents and began pitching them. As the three boys did that, Rhen and Rhodes quickly got a fire going. At this, Dr Ena rushed to them and said.

‘Be careful not to make too large a fire, remember that the effluvia has a tendency of combusting.’ Rhen then looked at Dr Ena and smiled saying.

‘Not the worst way to go...’ Dr Ena frowned at her as Rhodes immediately said.

‘She’s joking. We got it, doc!’ Dr Ena immediately flashed a smile at Rhodes as he walked off.

‘Of all people you tease him?!’ Rhodes said to Rhen, slapping her right arm with her left hand. Rhen laughed uncontrollably saying.

‘If you saw the expression on his face, then you’ll know it was worth it!’ Rhodes rolled her eyes as she sneaked in a casual smile. Once everyone was done with their individual responsibilities, the team once again sat round the small fire, with simple nourishments in hand. Rion wanted to continue the discussion, so he initiated.

‘So anyone has any intelligent guesses as to what this creature might be?’ Everyone was exchanging confused looks until Lio broke the silence saying.

‘Maybe it’s one of the Five? Since we know so little about them, I’m pretty sure their size and physiology are a clean slate in that any of this could piece together and fit nicely.’ Deimos then looked over to Lio and giggled a little. Lio then looked at him and asked.

‘What?’

‘Dude, we’re trying to guess what known creature could possibly have created the Vale, otherwise throwing out unknown creatures is just gonna make this conversation go round in circles...’ Deimos whispered over to spare Lio the embarrassment. Lio blushed a little in shame as he muttered.

‘Right. Nevermind then.’ At this, Rhodes stole the limelight saying.

‘Dah’ren Mohran? It is a colossal creature and seeing that it lives in a dessert directly above us, it seems plausible that this could be its final resting place.’ Dr Ena started nodding, but a frown started appearing on his face, clearly unconvinced. Dr Ena then spoke up.

‘While Dah’ren Mohran fits the bill in terms of size, it does not explain the ability of this cavern to support the presence of acid. Because the Mohran family live in the desert, it is paramount that their physiology supports those conditions. And in the desert, food, especially meat, is scarce. Look at Diablos for example, its diet consists entirely of cacti, and its stomach does not require as much or as strong an acid to break those down, and so it secretes less or weaker acids. So it’s the same for Dah’ren Mohran, which leads me to think that this may not be it.’ Rhen then added on.

‘And there was no horn’, Dr Ena nodded and said.

‘Exactly, there was no hor-...’ Dr Ena stopped short of finishing his sentence the moment he noticed who was the one that said that. Rhen then continued.

‘If I had to guess, it was either a Kulu-Ya-Ku or a Dalamadur.’ Dr Ena then turned to Rhen replying.

‘Yes... YES! Dalamdur! Of course! Everything fits. The acid, the jaw structure, the fangs, everything! Even the shape of the tunnels and caves that we’ve been traversing. Brilliant!’ Dr Ena was struggling to contain his excitement. ‘Even the colour of the acid, Dalamadur was infamous for not only its paralytic venom on its fangs, but also its blue scorching flames. We have studied the burn marks created by the blue flames before and found them very similar to that of acid corrosion. It all makes sense now!’ Rion was unsure whether to join in the doctor’s excitement, or worry about the fact that the death of one Elder Dragon could cause such a tremendous ecological shift in the balance of nature. With that thought, Rion decided it was better to realign the doctor by asking.

‘So if Dalamadur, an Elder Dragon, could do this. What do you think will happen to Zorah when it dies?’ Dr Ena’s smile dwindled as he shook at the thought.

‘If a normal Elder could do this, I dare not fathom what a primordial could accomplish. As with the Tale of the Five, we clearly see that the primordial Elder Dragons took their powers one step further. Unlike the Elders who simply manipulated the ecology around them to suit them, the primordials created nature as we know it. So the magnitude of...’ Deimos’ attention was drawn away from the conversation as he heard a thundering growl far away and coming from the Vale entrance. He tapped Lio on his right shoulder while maintaining his gaze on the cave entrance.

‘Did you hear that?’ Lio turned to look at Deimos before replying.

‘Hear what?’ Before Deimos could answer, the growl was heard again, this time it was of a lower pitch, but of a greater intensity. The small rocks near where the two of them were seated started vibrating slightly, dancing on the ground. Deimos now turned to look at Lio who was wearing the same worried expression now.

‘I heard that. And felt it too.’


	24. Deadly Resonance

Rion concluded the group’s discussion on the Vale and urged everyone to get an early night, preparing for the long and tiresome journey the next day. He initially planned to start the day early, in the hopes of sneaking past the wildlife while they remained in slumber, but Dr Ena gently reminded Rion how little the surface affected the ecology of this underworld. As everyone was heading into their tents, Rhen and Rhodes dragged Eros into their tent, intending to interrogate him regarding some girl stuff. The moment Phobos realised this meant he could bunk in with Deimos, his eyes lit up with joy, giving his brother a momentary smile before darting straight into the last vacant tent. Before Lio and Deimos went in, Lio grabbed Deimos’ left forearm with his right hand, causing Deimos to turn back and look at him.

‘Do you think we should tell the rest?’ Deimos now looked down and replied.

‘I... I don’t know... Even if we did, what do we tell them?’ Lio was not as concerned about the roar as he was about the tremor that accompanied it. That was very unusual for a roar to have so much power that it caused the ground to shake, assuming of course that the two were related, and did not occur simultaneously coincidentally. Either way, the longer the two stood in contemplation, the quicker the opportunity to inform the team left them as everyone made their way into the privacy of their own tents. Lio then shook the thought out of his mind as he let go of Deimos’ left arm. Deimos then reached out to hold Lio’s right hand, interlocking their fingers as he pulled Lio into the tent with him. Deimos entered the tent to see Phobos occupy a relatively oversized bed for a palico on the left, leaving only one more bed on the right for the two grown men.

‘You fat lazy cat, get off!’ Deimos went over to Phobos, shoving him off the bed.

‘REEEEE!’ Phobos hissed at Deimos, refusing to give up the comfort of his newfound abode. Lio witnessed their interaction and unknowingly flashed a smile as he said.

‘It’s alright, we can share the other bed.’ Deimos then turned to frown at Lio, expressing how illogical his suggestion was. But Deimos would be lying if he said he didn’t find that enticing, any time spent in close proximity to Lio was always welcome. After all, this kind of warmth was nearly impossible to find, so Deimos walked over to the other side of the tent. Phobos stuck his tongue out at Deimos, as he snuggled his face on the soft bed he just stole from Deimos. Deimos chuckled as he turned around, only to find his face now directly in front of Lio’s. Lio was purposefully standing his ground, maintaining the uncomfortable distance from Deimos as he smiled at him. Deimos was about to take a step back when he felt a firm grip on both sides of his waist. He looked down to see Lio’s hands in the familiar position, disallowing Deimos from moving away. Deimos was puzzled by Lio’s intentions, so he asked.

‘Uhh... Is something wrong?’ Lio maintained his smile as he replied.

‘The only thing wrong is how much I have been deprived of looking at my handsome boyfriend.’ This statement caused Deimos to blush as he looked away, breaking eye contact and looking past Lio’s left ear. Lio then transitioned his left hand to Deimos’ right cheek, readjusting it to align with his face as he continued to look into Deimos’ sapphire eyes contently.

‘Has anyone told you how beautiful your eyes are?’ Lio asked softly as he continued looking straight at Deimos. Deimos replied.

‘Not explicitly, no...’ Lio chuckled as he continued staring at them.

‘Then let me be the first, they are gorgeous. You are gorgeous.’ Lio said this as he traced his hands from round Deimos’ waist to his lower back, and tightening his embrace. This caused Deimos’ body to close in on Lio’s bare body as their bulging chests made contact. They started exchanging body heat, and could feel the rhythm of the other’s heartbeat. Deimos’ arms were awkwardly by his side, now starting to feel crushed by Lio’s massive arms, so he pulled them out and rested them around Lio’s neck.

‘We should do this more often.’ Lio said as he closed in on Deimos, resting his forehead on Deimos’ and closed his eyes. Deimos closed his too, and the two remained in silence for a brief moment, concentrating on each other’s breathing. They focused on the inhaling and exhaling of the other party, heightening not only the sense of sound, but also the sense of touch as they felt the warm air blowing upon their lips. They soon found their breathing slowed down and in sync as their bodies relaxed. Lio opened his eyes and pulled his head back as he released his grip on Deimos, turning around and leaving him standing alone. The sudden deprivation of physical contact caused Deimos to open his eyes quickly and fall into a brief moment of panic and confusion as he saw Lio walking away toward the bed. Lio lay down on the bed, a little further away from the centre to make space for Deimos. He had his right arm straightened and looked straight toward Deimos with a smile, inviting him to lie beside him. Deimos approached slowly and sat by the edge of the bed, turning to look at Lio from his right side. Before Deimos could do anything, Lio lunged forward and wrapped his right arm round Deimos’ neck, and pulled him down.

‘Woah!’ Deimos fell onto Lio’s body while still being gently choked by Lio’s huge biceps. Lio used his left hand to push Deimos slightly to the right and off his body, before releasing his grip on Deimos’ neck. He let Deimos’ head rest on his bicep while his right hand now rested on Deimos’ chest.

‘Comfortable?’ Lio asked as he saw Deimos still a little in shock.

‘Uhh... Yeah, this is ok.’

‘If you want, you could always just lie on me instead.’ Deimos was a little hesitant, as he was in foreign territory as far as he was concerned. Lio then expressed his annoyance as he said.

‘After all this time, you’re still so nervous and tense! Relax man!’ Lio then bent his right elbow, wrapping his arm round Deimos’ neck once again, pushing his face into his right chest. Deimos was now finding it difficult to breathe as he started pushing against Lio’s body to free himself from the grab. Lio didn’t relent, so Deimos’ right hand reached down south and gave Lio’s groin a gentle smack.

‘Ahh!’ Lio jerked and loosened his grip momentarily as Deimos broke free.

‘You trying to kill me?’ Deimos said as he slapped Lio’s abs. Lio smirked at him before using his left hand to hold onto Deimos’ right hand now on his abs and pressing him against his body. Deimos pressed his left cheek now onto Lio’s firm chest, closing his eyes to soak in the comfort of his body heat. He stretched his right hand, sliding it round Lio’s firm abs and muscular side, pressing his body against Lio’s. Lio’s hand that was originally holding onto Deimos’ right hand now slid up his arm and rested on Deimos’ shoulder.

‘So, I’m the first guy you kissed huh?’

‘Uhh huh...’

‘How would you rate the experience?’ Deimos still had his eyes closed while wearing a smile on his face, invisible to Lio.

‘Well, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d probably give it a 6...’ Deimos opened his eyes and unwrapped his right hand, pressing on Lio’s abs to push himself up. He was now leaning on his side as he glared at Lio asking.

‘Only a 6? Was I that bad?’

‘You weren’t bad, it’s just I felt like I was doing all the work, that’s all...’ Lio was beginning to choose his words a little more carefully.

‘So you like tongue?’ Lio didn’t offer an answer, but he just smiled at Deimos. Deimos then threw himself on top of Lio, aligning his groin over Lio’s as he leaned his body downward slowly and stopped with his face directly above him. Then without warning, Deimos dropped down on Lio, colliding their lips. Lio opened his mouth almost immediately, to which Deimos wasted no time and inserted his tongue. Deimos was rough and clearly inexperienced, as he pushed his tongue forcefully around Lio’s mouth. Lio’s grunting was more out of surprise rather than discomfort, but Deimos reacted rather negatively as he retracted. Lio felt Deimos pulling away and about to give up when his right hand swung behind Deimos’ neck, preventing him from leaving. He held his head in place, allowing their lips to part but only so Lio could speak as he said.

‘Let me show you.’ Before Deimos could offer any form of response, Lio forcefully fed Deimos’ lips to his own. He used his tongue to gently brush Deimos’ lips, causing them to open willingly. He then stroked the inside of the lips, brushing to the side and reaching the inner lining of his mouth. His tongue then went to the centre where he found Deimos’ tongue, and he gave it a forceful push, causing a reactionary push from Deimos. Lio then clamped his lips to bite onto Deimos’ lips while trying to wrap his tongue around Deimos’. The moment the two met, he held Deimos in position, using his right hand to continue applying pressure. As the kiss ended, Lio continued licking Deimos’ outer lips and around his mouth. Lio pulled away and said.

‘I’d give myself a 9. I’d kiss myself everyday if I could.’ Deimos frowned at him and said.

‘Well sorry to disappoint, but all you got is me at the moment.’ Lio then leaned up closer to Deimos and said.

‘And I’m really thankful for that...’

Deimos woke up in the middle of the night, his mind still flustered with the foreign roar. Not that he could tell the time in the caves they were in, but he couldn’t really rest. He was still unsure whether the decision they made to not tell the rest was the right one. He was lying on his right side, with Lio spooning him from the back. Deimos gently untangled himself from Lio’s left arm as he got up and sat by the edge of the bed. He looked over and saw Phobos sound asleep, and he could even hear his snoring. Deimos had never liked studying about the Rotten Vale back in military school because it was always the region that didn’t abide by any rules. The Ancient Forest behaved similarly to, well, forests in general, and so did the Wildspire Wastes to deserts. The Coral Highlands was basically an underwater world on land, so the same rules applied as well. But the Vale, there were very little regions that were designated for rot and decay, and as a result many of its characteristics and inhabitants were extremely out of the ordinary, and Deimos wasn’t very fond of that. Even Dr Ena explicitly said that the Rotten Vale was by far the least understood region in the New World, which really didn’t instil a surge of confidence within the group. Deimos grabbed his black scarf and wrapped it round his neck as he left the tent. While the caves were equally dark from when they first arrived, the temperature dropped significantly. Deimos’ bare body was used to harsh conditions, but that didn’t mean he was comfortable in them. The chilly air forced him to keep his time outside short, but just as he was about to return into the tent, he noticed a shadow by their food supply bag. He turned to catch a second look, and he saw a small creature sticking its head into the bag. Deimos approached it slowly to get a better look, and as he closed the distance, he noticed that the creature had a strange contraption attached to its back. The weapon had a horizontal handle that supported three curved blades in a semicircle shape. The weapon seemed like it was made purely out of bone, with the blades looking like claws that used to belong to a larger monster. Once he was about a metre from the intruder, he realised what the creature was, and immediately calmed down as he continued his advancement. The creature could sense a foreign presence approach as it immediately pulled its head out and turned to look at Deimos. It was a palico! Well, a wild one at least, for this one was short, skinny, and had two yellow pointed ears raised in the air. Its body fur was greyish in colour with its paws the same shade of yellow as its ears. It squealed in shock as it ran back to the entrance of the Vale on all fours before turning around to stare at Deimos cautiously.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you... You hungry?’ Deimos then knelt down and reached into the bag, fishing out one of Phobos’ sausages. He offered it to the cat by placing it in front of him and inched backwards. The frightened palico tilted its head to the side, but its pupils dilated the moment the scent of cooked meat reached its nose, causing it to twitch uncontrollably. It reluctantly moved toward the sausage, and when it reached it, it stood there staring at the sausage. It stared at the sausage, then up at Deimos.

‘Go on, take it...’ Deimos muttered. The palico then reached round for its weapon and stared at it while it lay in its yellow paws. It placed the weapon down slowly and hesitantly beside the sausage, before taking the sausage and quickly disappearing into the hole. Deimos was left kneeling there, thoroughly confused as he stared at the curved weapon left on the ground. He couldn’t possibly use it, it was too small. Perhaps Phobos could use it, he thought. So he picked up the weapon and returned into the tent, placing the weapon on the table in the middle of the room. He returned back to Lio’s side, who was still in the same position. Deimos snuck back into his arms, causing Lio to whisper into his ear.

‘Can’t sleep?’ Deimos held on to Lio’s left hand now wrapped round his chest as the two dosed off into the night.

‘We’ve been eating bread for breakfast every morning, could we get something... Why are there no more sausages in the bag?’ Rhen turned to glare at the innocent cat as she growled slowly. ‘Phobos...’

‘REEEEE!!!’ Phobos squealed as Rhen started chasing the fur ball around the camp.

‘Why do you eat so much? You don’t even do anything!’ Rhen shouted as she continued running after Phobos.

‘I took the last one, it wasn’t him.’ Deimos said out loud, causing Rhen to stop.

‘Ohh no wonder boy, you can’t eat something so oily! Imagine what that would do to that perfect body of yours!’ Rhen once again started running her hands up and down Deimos’ chest and abs.

‘Tsk, I didn’t eat it...’ Deimos said while brushing her hands away. Rhen then plastered a very naughty look on her face as she perked her head backwards to take a glimpse at Deimos’ buttocks.

‘Ohh... I see...’ Deimos paid no heed initially, but when he saw where she was looking, he caught up quickly and said.

‘What?! No, no, what I meant was...’

‘Babadup...! No need to explain, we all have our needs, I get it...’ Rhen said as she raised her hands over Deimos’ mouth, disallowing him to speak. Deimos rolled his eyes as he turned to a now laughing Eros, Rhodes and Lio. Even Phobos was laughing at him from a distance. Deimos then said.

‘I was about to say that a palico actually snuck into our camp last night looking for food. It was really skinny and it looked desperate so I offered it our last sausage.’ Phobos then ran up to Deimos, hitting his shin with his paw and pouting.

‘Hey, you had plenty, don’t be so selfish. Besides, you’re getting fat...’

‘Heeeooo...?!’ Phobos looked down and started pinching his small fleshy belly, exposing a thin layer of blubber. Dr Ena joined the conversation and added in excitement.

‘Incredible. You met a wild palico? I believe they are called grimalkyne by the lynian researchers. These indigenous tribes have been known to be capable of communicating with outsiders and even though they live exclusively in the wild, they have been seen forming alliances with other groups of wild creatures. This occurrence has made the field of communicating with the grimalkyne exceptionally attractive over recent years.’ Phobos was now swinging his newfound weapon around like a toy, drawing everyone’s attention to it.

‘He looks so cute when he does that’, Rhen commented.

‘What is he doing, exactly?’ Rhodes asked.

‘No idea, but it’s cute!’ Rhen defended. Dr Ena then enquired.

‘Where did Phobos acquire such a curious tool?’

‘The cat left it behind when it took the sausage. Not sure why it did that.’ Deimos replied.

‘Really? That is really interesting. The lynian researchers had a theory that the grimalkyne form and strengthen bonds through a process they like to call pawswap. It is a process where gifts are exchanged and they must be enjoyed equally by both parties. This could be a sign that the grimalkyne trusts you.’ Everyone was nodding enthusiastically at the encouraging and interesting news. Dr Ena then threw in a disclaimer. ‘Ohh but I am no expert in lynian studies, so don’t take my word for it.’ Dr Ena now took the weapon from Phobos’ paws and examined it. Phobos was swinging his paws in the air trying to take it back from Dr Ena but Deimos held him by the belly and pulled him in. Phobos’ eyes started watering as he turned to look at Deimos.

‘Don’t worry, he’s gonna give it back to you.’

‘Amazing, this weapon is made entirely out of the remains of another creature. While simple, it is extremely durable. The bone has been treated.’ Dr Ena ravelled.

‘What do you mean treated?’ Rhodes asked.

‘I mean like glazed with a protective layer to slow down the decay of the bone, making it a suitable material to be used in combat, here here, take a look! These creatures really are extremely intelligent.’ Dr Ena said as he passed the weapon around the circle. Phobos was now wriggling uncontrollably in Deimos’ arms as he saw his toy being passed around. Deimos looked down at him and said.

‘Hey! What’s the matter with you? Nobody’s going to take it away, they just wanna take a look. It’ll be back in your paws in no time.’ Phobos then looked at Deimos with less pitiful eyes as he calmed down. Deimos showed his approval by rewarding him with scratches on the head, making him relax even more. Sure enough, the weapon returned and Deimos handed it back to Phobos who hugged it tightly. Everyone had finished their morning crunch and were packing up, preparing to leave camp when Deimos and Lio heard a familiar roar. Their ears piqued as they turned to each other. Lio then said out loud.

‘What was that?’ This time, everyone turned their attention to Lio.

‘What was what?’ Eros asked. The roar was now twice as loud, and the ground trembled more vigorously than the night before. Rhen then replied.

‘I definitely felt that!’ Rhen then turned to Dr Ena and said. ‘What in the hell is that?!’

‘I... have no clue... But it doesn’t sound friendly...’ The team was now looking at Rion, awaiting his go-no-go. Rion heaved a sigh before looking straight at the glowing entrance and pulling up a piece of cloth over his face as he said.

‘Let’s go’.

The team entered the familiar zone but maintained their guard due to the foreign roar heard just before they left. The area they traversed had nothing visually different about it, with the caves still well lit by the glowing pools of acid. The stench was even greater than it was the day before thanks to the drop in temperature. This caused the pungent smells that were stagnant at the ceiling of the caverns to sink down to the lower levels. The team really didn’t want to prolong their stay in such a toxic region, so they made sure that they maintained their pace and sped up where they could. They thought it wise to move in the direction opposite of where the assumed skull of Dalamadur was, hoping it would lead them through the rest of its serpentine body and eventually out of this horrid place. As they continued, the pools of acid started to dwindle, as the area began getting darker. The bright fungi were also beginning to disappear, as dark plants took its place. Crimson fruits and dark green moss started appearing, growing all over now visible piles of bone and rotten flesh. The stench was getting much sharper, as brownish smog of effluvia was now seen emitting from these heaps of decaying flesh.

‘Effluvia is not known to be a coloured gas, so that brown smog must mean it’s concentrated. Stay clear from them!’ Dr Ena warned the group. This was easier said than done, considering that the whole area was reeking with effluvia. The cloth the team had over their nose and mouth did little to repel the toxic gas, so Rion decided to increase his pace. The mountains of bones were slowing them down, as sharp splinters stuck out from the ground and planting hazards all around their path. It was not just the potential cuts that were a concern, but rather the bacteria that will hasten the infection of the exposed wound. The team made their way carefully through this hellish obstacle course while scanning their surroundings thoroughly for anything that seemed out of place. In a place like the Vale, that was a task that was nearly impossible. The path ahead of the team began to slope upward, which was an encouraging sign. The initial ascent was gradual, but the upward gradient slowly began steeper as the team continued their climb. The journey within the Vale was starting to challenge the team in more ways than one. While the route challenged them physically, the thought of resting in such vile environments challenged the team mentally as well, forcing a wave of discomfort within the squad. This made them easily come to a common consensus; getting out of here as quickly as possible. The team endured the miserable environments and physical fatigue, eventually arriving at a wide open region that was well lit. While still thick with effluvia, the sunlight shining down served as a nice bit of psychological relief as they have been deprived of it for almost two whole days. The team’s momentary break to soak in the warmth of the sun on their skin was rudely interrupted by a large object that was falling down on them. It obscured the sun and caused the team to roll out of the way as it crashed down on where they were standing.

‘Fuck!’ Rhen’s shout being muffled through the cloth.

‘A Legiana...’ Dr Ena muttered as he stared at the magnificent beast lying motionless on the ground. Its back had turned from a radiant navy blue to a rotten black while its cream white underbelly had turned into a dirty beige colour. Its large overlapping layered wings were tattered and torn, its two thick large feelers that often mistaken for horns were bruised and cracked. Its beak and claws had all been shattered as well. The once master of icy winds was now lying lifeless on the ground before them. Only Dr Ena was looking at the Legiana while everyone else looked up. The Coral Highlands could be seen through the cracks in the earth. It showed them a glimpse of the vibrant colour and open fields, which seemed to call out to them. The team’s eyes were now brimming with both excitement and anticipation, as they urged Rion to continue. Dr Ena’s attention was still fixated on the Legiana, such that Rion approached him and asked.

‘Something wrong, doctor?’

‘Creatures come to the Vale to die, that much is clear.’ Dr Ena then stood up and looked at Rion before continuing. ‘While this Legiana is old, it clearly died in a fight. These wounds, they are not natural, something large and powerful did this. Legianas do not chip their claws nor tear their wings easily. My mind is fearful of what could’ve done this to a Legiana...’ Eros then asked.

‘Probably its predator? There must be something out there that hunts these creatures for food right?’ Dr Ena then turned to look at Eros.

‘That’s the problem, my boy. Legianas are apex predators.’ Before anyone could react, the familiar roar sounded off again. This time, the open area allowed the sound waves to travel freely, with no rocks to shield the team from the powerful tremors. The roar was now deafening and extremely powerful. So powerful, that it caused the bones on the ground to vibrate vigorously causing them to shatter. This created the splinters that the team walked by previously, which they assumed were caused by large monsters stepping on them. Little did they know it was caused by a scream, which terrified them even more. The roar started with a low pitch and increased gradually, transitioning from a powerful shockwave to a deafening screech. This caused a disorientating effect on the team as they cupped their ears in agony, their vision being impaired momentarily by the disruptive resonance.

‘There are too many unknowns, we need to get out of here. Now!’ Rion said loudly with his ears still recovering from the deafening roar. The team recovered quickly, and continued their journey uphill which ironically led them closer to the source of the roar. The team was opening up their strides as they traversed through the toxic plain, eventually leading them further up to another open area where the air thinned. The air looked clear and was seemingly free of effluvia, so the team lowered their clothes and took in deep breaths.

‘URRGGHH...! NOPE! Still smells like shit!’ Rhen shouted as she placed the cloth back over her face. Everyone else wore a similarly disgusted look as they placed their cloths back over their faces immediately. While the air was still putrid, the environment was brighter, possibly due to the team finally being at the upper levels of the Vale. The effluvia levels were the lowest here, albeit still at unhealthy amounts. The area was still littered with bones and rotten flesh, but more fauna was present here. Large insects and scavenging birds were able to survive here, simply due to the fact that it was nearer the surface, allowing for short trips in and out of the Vale. The team looked up to see what looked like the ribcage of an enormous creature, large bones towering and encircling over them. The blue sky was now visible, and they could catch glimpses of flocks of Raphinos and Mantagrells overhead. Rion signalled them to push on, seeing that the Coral Highlands was almost within reach. The team saw a straight elevated path leading further upward toward the surface and headed toward it with haste. Just before they could reach the path, a large red demonic figure leapt from the side and landed in front of them. Its canine fangs protruded both upward and downward, perfect for crushing bone, creating a truly terrifying image in front of them. Its large blood red muscular frame looked deceptively vulnerable but had hardened through years of exposure to rot and decay. Its feet had two layers of claws, which staggered over each other, made specifically to tear through flesh. The beast stared viciously at the intruders with its tiny pale blue pupils as it began drooling uncontrollably. The smell of fresh meat, while scarce and almost non-existent in the Vale, was something the Odogaron never forgot. Its snout began twitching and its muscles could be seen to tense up immediately as it prepared to pounce at the team.

‘Duck!’ Rion shouted as he placed his arm behind Dr Ena’s shoulders, pushing him down and forcing him to dodge the pounce. Eros did the same for Rhodes while Lio, Deimos and Rhen rolled to the side. The Odogaron quickly turned back and opened its massive jaws, revealing the layers of teeth that hid within its fleshy mouth. It rushed forward and clamped it shut while charging at the team. This time the team were forced to roll to the sides to avoid the aggressive lunge. Deimos picked up a rock and loaded it into his slinger, and aiming it at Odogaron’s eye, he shot it. It missed its eye, but fulfilled its purpose with the Odogaron now turning its attention to Deimos.

‘Go! We’ll hold it off!’ Deimos shouted at Rion and Dr Ena as he unsheathed his charge blade.

‘Go with them!’ Eros pushed Rhodes toward Rion and Dr Ena as he too unsheathed his weapon, facing the Odogaron. Lio stood next to Deimos who had his shield up and he said to him.

‘I’m not looking forward to fighting its roar head-on.’ Deimos held onto his shield even tighter after he heard Lio’s comment.

‘Sir, I don’t think we should split up like this!’ Rion asked without looking at Dr Ena.

‘What’s wrong, doctor?’

‘The roar we’ve been hearing did not come from an Odogaron, and it is definitely not responsible for the Legiana’s wounds we saw previously!’ Dr Ena tried to explain concisely while running.

‘Get to the point, doctor!’ Rion raised his voice slightly. Rhodes then intervened.

‘Sir, I think what Dr Ena is trying to say is whatever did that to the Legiana is still out there and is probably a much greater threat than Odogaron. Maybe we should...’ Rhodes was interrupted by three large boulders flying straight toward them from above the elevated pathway. They quickly rolled to the side, barely dodging it, as their eyes traced the boulders’ trajectory. The boulders landed directly on the Odogaron’s body, shattering as they collided with its strong body, causing it to fall over to its side. Now even the hunters turned toward the direction where the boulders emerged from, only to hear the very familiar roar emit from there. The full force of the roar could now be heard, as the powerful shockwaves sent Rhodes, Rion and Dr Ena flying backwards, and landing on the hard wet ground. The hunters tried to get to the three of them, but their senses were impaired no less so than the previous experience of the roar, causing them to cower in pain. Rion quickly got back on his feet as he turned around to Rhodes and Dr Ena shouting.

‘Run!’


	25. Perfect Crescendo

The hunters watched as Rion, Rhodes and Dr Ena came running back down from the slope where the flying boulders emerged from. Rhen and Deimos still had their eyes on the Odogaron that was getting back up on its feet while Lio and Eros looked forward to try and identify the culprit through the dust clouds. The Odogaron shifted its focus toward the elevated path now, growling and bearing its teeth before letting out a high pitched roar. Its tongue instinctively stuck out while showing off its large jaws, hoping to intimidate its foe. As the dust began to settle, the powerful beast revealed itself. Its main body frame was similar to that of a Nargacuga, in that it had claws on its forelimbs that accompanied its wings with two hind legs sandwiching its long sturdy tail. But that was where the similarities ended. Its head was rectangular in shape, and its ears were connected to its long scaly brow above its eyes. It had small pupils that glowed red, and a neat array of canine teeth running from the tip of its mouth all the way to back of its jaw. Its whole body was covered in a tough hide that were two shades of brown; a dark woody brown which alternated with a light sandy brown. This stripped patterned body helped the creature camouflage in a dim area such as the Vale, making it a formidable adversary.

‘We cannot stay here...’ Rion said as the three of them took cover away from the two large monsters. Dr Ena replied.

‘But it’s blocking the path! Unless we find another way...’ The three of them were now looking across the elevated slope and found that behind the Odogaron was a path that also led upwards, albeit in the opposite direction. Rion was cornered into heading that direction so he signalled the hunters their intention. Lio took notice and informed the hunters.

‘My dad is bringing them the other way, we gotta buy them some time and distract this thing.’ The hunters nodded at Lio’s orders. Deimos then turned to Phobos on his shoulder and said.

‘Go with them, make sure they’re ok.’ Phobos jumped off immediately and joined the three humans, escorting them to safety. The creature reeled its head backwards with its forelegs in front supporting its body weight. It straightened its back causing it to bare its large meaty chest. Its chest and throat began vibrating as it rippled upward to its mouth. As if unable to hold it back, its lips folded back to reveal its rosy gums as it enlarged its jaws completely, retaliating to Odogaron’s high pitched roar with its own low pitched thunderous shockwave. Despite being exposed to the same roar countless number of times, it was no less agonising, as the hunters cupped their ears instinctively. The Odogaron lowered its head and shut its eyes in agony, clearly affected by the powerful roar as well. The moment it lifted its head, the large wyvern was already in the air, mid-pounce and heading straight toward the Odogaron. The hunters rolled out of the way, barely getting into safety as the two creatures battled it out. The Odogaron being significantly smaller, decided to use its agility to its advantage. It shifted its body weight to the side to dodge the initial pounce, before using its hind legs to kick itself off, sending it airborne and landing on top of the scaly beast. With the Odogaron now on top, it opened its large jaws and clamped down on the creature’s neck. The Odogaron tightened its grip, causing the scales around the monster to begin losing its integrity. As the pain began to surge, the stripped creature rolled over to its back, attempting to crush the pest on its back. Once again, the Odogaron played to its own advantage by adopting speed as it crawled round the neck while the monster performed the belly flop. The Odogaron’s wit was immediately rewarded as it found itself now on top of its foe with its underside now exposed, revealing the significantly more vulnerable portion of the neck. The Odogaron wasted little time and went in for a second bite, this time sinking its teeth into the monster’s flesh. The brutish creature was now thoroughly enraged as it flipped its body upright and used its right forelimb to press on the Odogaron’s abdomen, holding it down on the floor by its side. It was its turn to retaliate, as it went straight for Odogaron’s jugular. It’s much larger and powerful jaws held on to Odogaron’s neck, increasing pressure after each passing second. Eventually, the cracking of bones could be heard, as the Odogaron instantaneously stopped squirming, lying motionless on the floor with its neck still in the creature’s mouth.

‘Rion, the hunters are no match for that Tigrex, all of us need to get out of here!’ Rion was seriously considering the doctor’s suggestion as they were now out of harm’s way and looking down the sloping path, witnessing the gruesome death of the Odogaron. Rion then reluctantly replied.

‘They’ll be fine, let’s keep moving.’

The Tigrex now turned its attention to the hunters with the motionless Odogaron still in its mouth. Without warning, it flung the lifeless corpse toward the hunters aggressively, causing the hunters to roll out of the way. The Tigrex was reeling its head backward again as it took in a deep breath. Its eyes glowed an intense crimson red now, as the light sandy brown strips on its body started glowing a bright orange, intensifying the contrast between the two shades of brown. Red veins began popping out of its fleshy wings on its forelimbs as it arched its back, before charging straight at the hunters. Its charge was extremely fast and terrifying to witness, it used its frontal claws to drag itself energetically forward, once past its target, it used the same claws as breaks to turn its body a certain angle before continuing its charge. This continued for a few straight minutes, causing the hunters to struggle finding an opening to punish the beast.

‘It’s too fast! I can’t find an opening!’ Eros shouted.

‘Don’t take the risk, we still don’t know what we’re dealing with!’ Lio replied. Rhen and Deimos were hardly tuned into the conversation since they were busy studying their foe intently. Rhen did so by vaulting in the air while Deimos retained a defensive posture with his shield in front of him. Usually Rhen would find it rather simple to attack the foes on their fleshy wings since they were usually located on their backs. But in the case of the Tigrex, its fleshy parts were on its underside and its sides, which were going to be a bit of an issue. This urged her to stay grounded for this fight, but after witnessing the charge of the beast, she was beginning to doubt that decision. Deimos on the other hand was studying the beast for another purpose; its roar. He needed to cripple its roar for the simple reason that it had been something the team had yet to overcome, and seeing that it often left them defenceless and vulnerable, it was not something he was comfortable leaving in the creature’s arsenal. Once the Tigrex stopped charging, it turned quickly to face the hunters before raising its left foreleg in the air, preparing for a roar. Deimos took this opportunity to observe it. Once again, the vibrations began from the chest, and rippled upward toward its mouth. That was where he noticed the amplification of the roar happening near the throat region. As the Tigrex released the thunderous roar, the flesh on its wings began resonating to the sound as the hunter’s endured the torturous sensation.

Lio ran round the beast and fired his clutch claw at its tail. He wrapped his legs round the meaty limb, as he raised his greatsword over his head, attempting to swing it down from the side. Before he could perform the blow however, the Tigrex turned its body violently in a clockwise direction, swinging its tail in the created momentum, sending Lio flying off, hitting his back against the hard rock wall.

‘LIO!’ Deimos shouted as he ran over to him. Eros and Rhen went for each of its wings, performing rapid slashes on its flesh, distracting it as Deimos went to Lio’s aid.

‘Ahhh...! That hurt...’ Lio pushed himself off the filthy ground as he slowly regained consciousness.

‘You alright?’ Deimos asked.

‘Yeah I’m good. Let’s take that big boy down...’ Deimos heaved a sigh of relief as the two rejoined the fight.

‘Sir, I really don’t feel like we should...’ Dr Ena was firmly interrupted as Rion turned and placed both his hands on his shoulders as he said.

‘Doctor, try to understand that this decision isn’t an easy one to make, but extremely necessary. We are no good to them staying in the middle of the battle field while they fend off a Tigrex. The best thing we can do for them is to stay safe.’ Dr Ena tried to convince his heart to be at the same place as his mind as the logical argument of the commander slowly sank in. He knew the position in which Rion was in was never easy, needing to make these difficult decisions while constantly bearing whatever consequences that followed. Before Dr Ena could respond, however, Rhodes alerted the two gentlemen.

‘Umm... Sir...’ Rion turned to look at Rhodes’ paling face as she stared down at something behind him. He turned to see a large reptilian beast in front of them. Its body a strong sacramento green with bright yellow spots appearing along its back. It had two large fangs protruding downward from its upper jaw, which were dripping with a yellowish-green fluid. Its body was covered in scales from head to tail, its bright orange eyes staring straight at the three intruders.

‘Get the doctor out of here...’ Rion said as he stood between them and the lizard as he unsheathed his hammer. Rhodes grabbed Dr Ena’s arm and dragged him backwards, but before they could turn around to find another way, the beast opened its mouth and flared up its flaps along its neck, letting out a soft high pitched wail. Interestingly, this roar was unlike any previous monster roar in the sense that it didn’t cause any discomfort to their ears. Confused but relieved, Rhodes continued pulling Dr Ena away from the creature.

‘HEOOWWW!!!’ Phobos screamed in shock as he starting hitting Rhodes gently on her head with his tiny paws while looking behind them. When Rhodes turned back, she saw a large swarm of smaller lizards forming behind them. The three of them were now surrounded, with the significantly larger creature in front of them, and a swarm of smaller ones behind. They had similar physical features, with the smaller lizards having bodies of the same shade of green and fangs dripping with the same coloured fluid.

‘The Girros are notorious for their paralytic venom, their hunting tactic is to swarm and corner their prey. We have to break out of this formation.’ Dr Ena tried to explain calmly while feeling the atmosphere tense up at an increasing rate. Rion turned around to see the situation complicating immensely as he turned his attention back to the alpha Girros in front of him.

‘Stand your ground. We have no choice but to fight them off. Prepare yourselves.’ At this, Rhodes picked up some torch pods; stones laced with combustible chemicals, and loaded them into her slinger. Dr Ena picked up a large solid bone, prepared to defend himself with it, and Phobos fished out his new acquired weapon from the grimalkyne. As if on cue, Rion charged toward the Great Girros while the rest charged in the opposite direction toward the swarm.

The poison from Eros’ blade was causing the Tigrex’s left wing to cripple ever so slightly, seeing how its movements were slowing down, and its crimson red veins were starting to turn a dark scarlet red. Rhen’s slashes on the right wing were also causing large amounts of discomfort for the beast as most of its attention was toward her instead of Eros. The two guys rejoined the fight, with Lio giving the tail another try. This time, he left his claw latched onto the creature, as he tried swinging his blade with only his right hand. The greatsword was never meant to be used with one hand, but Lio saw no other way lest he lose his grip on the creature again. So he unsheathed his weapon, and allowed it to swing downward while maintaining as much control amidst the overwhelming weight as possible. It caused his already muscular biceps to swell even larger as it flexed involuntarily. The thick blade collided successfully on the tail, shattering the scales and lodging itself into the flesh. The Tigrex responded to this by swinging its tail violently, trying to shake Lio off. Deimos used this opportunity to run to its face and used the sharp tip at the bottom of his shield to thrust upward toward the underside of the Tigrex’s throat. The swift and powerful impact caused the creature to gag as Deimos noticed some involuntary spasms beginning to occur around its throat. The discomfort was enough to break its attention from Lio as it turned to stare at Deimos. In its blind rage, the Tigrex began releasing quick bursts of sound waves from its mouth as if it were breathing fire. The transparent shockwaves shattered anything it touched and sent Deimos flying backward even with his shield up blocking the blow. His shield overflowing with energy and his now bruised right arm were very clear indications of the sheer power this Tigrex’s vocal chords possessed, strengthening Deimos’ resolve to cripple it. He quickly got back on his feet, and ran toward the Tigrex. While sprinting, he combined his sword with his shield, morphing it into the axe and dragging it along the ground. Just before he reached the beast, he swung it upward aiming it at the underside of its throat. What was about to be a direct hit, was stopped short just below its chin. Deimos looked up to see the blade of his axe jammed by the Tigrex’s forelegs, holding on to it with both its claws, pushing it down to resist the upward strike. Deimos was no match for the Tigrex’s strength, and found his axe being lowered gradually against his will. With the Tigrex now distracted by Deimos, Eros took the opportunity to land blows on its exposed abdomen. Rhen took to the air and tried landing blows on the back of its neck where the Odogaron so conveniently weakened for her. Tigrex was obviously annoyed by the two but consciously remained fixated on Deimos as it continued pushing the heavy axe downward. But the final straw was the agonising pain it felt when Lio hammered his thick blade downward, cleaving its tail clean off. Tigrex wailed in agony as it released its grip on Deimos’ axe, causing it to resume its upward swing and smashing its throat. The released energy caused the scales around its neck to shatter and crack as it tumbled over to the side disorientated. The Tigrex took some time to regain its balance as it shook its head before glaring at the team again. It was now panting and drooling slightly, before attempting another roar at the group. The team shut their eyes in anticipation of the pain, but instead they got a much weaker roar which barely had any effect on them. The Tigrex’s throat and chest were still vibrating, albeit much less vigorously now. Rhen and Eros were about to charge toward the beast to continue their assault when Lio raised his arm to stop them, getting them to stand their ground and wait for the Tigrex to make its move first. The creature surveyed its adversaries one last time before turning around and descending deeper into the Vale, via the path they came from. The hunter’s released a heavy sigh of relief, as they regained their composure and left toward the direction they last saw the rest headed to.

Rion shifted his hammer behind him, waiting for the beast to make the first move. The Great Girros then swiftly darted its head forward going for a bite at Rion. Just before it connected, Rion swung the hammer upward at a 45 degree angle to the left, hitting the beast’s lower jaw. It tumbled backward before turning back to face Rion, who was once again awaiting its next move. It attempted another bite, and Rion performed a similar punishing move but this time he swung the hammer vertically upward, colliding with the creature’s chin, causing it to overturn on its back.

‘Good job Phobos!’ Rhodes shouted as she saw him on the back of one of the Girros, plundering through its tough scales with his weapon. Rhodes fired the torch pods at the Girros, and upon impact sparked a small flame that combusted the effluvia around them. The explosion was enough to not only hurt them, but it scared some of them off as well. Dr Ena was swinging the large bone around like a mad man, clearly untrained in combat, but was at least creating some distance between them and the Girros. The Girros managed to shake Phobos off its back, causing Phobos to land on the ground beside it. The Girros turned to him and swipe its claw at him. Phobos inched backward, dodging two out of three of its claws, but taking the swipe of the longest claw to his left eye.

‘Eeooww...!’ Phobos screeched in pain as he shut his left eye and got back up on his feet. The Girros approached Phobos and raised its right claw up about to go for a second swipe when out of nowhere, a grimalkyne leapt onto the Girros, and began hitting it with a similar weapon that was in Phobos’ paw. Then a group of similarly coloured palicoes emerged from the crevices of the walls, with one of them holding up a large seashell in the shape of a French horn, blowing into it. The loud rallying anthem caused the grimalkyne to charge at the swarm of Girros with vigor and haste, creating a sea of yellow from their now visible perked up ears. The grimalkyne that saved Phobos now stood in front of him, and offered his paw to help him up.

‘Amazing! The lynian scholars will definitely be jealous that I was able to witness such an incident. They regard us as their allies and are fighting for us!’ Dr Ena shouted in excitement as he saw the grimalkyne engage the Girros fearlessly despite them being almost five times smaller. Rhodes went up to Phobos and carried him in her right arm while her slinger remained armed and loaded.

‘You did good! Now let us take care of the rest...’ Phobos shut his eyes as he blacked out from fatigue.

The giant Girros was beginning to learn that close quarter confrontations with his foe was not yielding favourable results, so it decided to try something different. It gurgled before spitting a large blob of yellow toxin at Rion. Rion was not expecting it, but managed to dodge out of the way in time. Impressed by the creature’s adaptive skills, he decided to switch things up as well as he charged straight at the beast. The Great Girros retaliated by charging straight at Rion as well. Just before they collided, Rion swung his body counter clockwise, swinging his hammer with two hands on the handle, and smashing it into the Girros’ left cheek, sending it rolling over to the side in pain. It then began wailing its familiar cry, causing the swarm that was being occupied by Rhodes, Dr Ena and the grimalkyne to now run past them and charge directly toward Rion. The two of them looked at each other with worried looks before chasing after the swarm. Rion could not handle enemies on both fronts, but tried his best to hold them off as he swung his hammer erratically in 360 degree motions. This was starting to tire him quickly, unsure of how much longer he could maintain this safe perimeter. The swarm was clawing away at his legs and arms when there were windows of opportunity for them to strike, which hastened the rate in which his body weakened. He could feel his body lose a little control as his muscles began flexing involuntarily, knowing the paralytic venom is starting to creep its way into his system. He refused to relent, as he continued striking the Girros with his hammer, sending multiple flying off to the side. Just as he was about to break, a small shadow from above came rolling down and slicing two Girros in their sides.

‘Need a little help, sir?’ Rhen was now standing in front of him with her usual grin on her face as she turned her back to face his. Lio came running through the swarm, rampaging through the smaller lizards, and using his large blade to send them flying off toward the walls before joining the two of them in the centre. Eros was following closely behind him through the path he so conveniently paved for him. Before Rion could ask, he saw a tall axe coming down onto the Great Girros’ head, and when it landed, a surge of energy broke the scales along its neck, forcing it to retreat. Deimos dismantled his axe back into its sword and shield mode, before standing in front of Rion, guarding him similar to how he usually shields Lio. The large lizard saw the timely reinforcements that arrived, and decided against continuing the futile battle against the humans, as it retreated back into its lair. The moment the monsters left the area, Deimos immediately sheathed his weapon and turned around to see Rion covered in cuts.

‘Sir! You alright?’ Rion chuckled as he replied.

‘It’s nothing, I’m fine.’ Just as he said this, Rion collapsed on the ground, still conscious.

‘Dad!’ Lio knelt by his father’s side, seeing that he was still conscious and eyes wide open. Lio was confused, and didn’t know what was happening.

‘He took in too much of the venom, his body is going into shock.’ Rhodes shouted as she emerged with Dr Ena and Phobos still in her arms. Dr Ena knelt down by Rion’s side as he began preparing and feeding him some medicine. Rhodes went straight to Deimos and presented him an unconscious Phobos.

‘What happened to him?!’ Deimos asked frantically.

‘Relax, he’s fine, he was fighting alongside us and he’s just tired. He did sustain a few injuries but nothing too serious.’ Rhodes calmed Deimos down as she explained. Deimos then held Phobos in his left arm while his right arm stroked his head gently, feeling his soft fur. His hand moved over to his left eye, noticing the fresh cut. This sight brought a tear to Deimos’ eyes as he looked down at his brother unconscious in his arms. Lio was still by his father’s side but noticed Deimos tearing. He wanted to be with him so badly, but as Rhodes was already with him, he forced himself to stay by his father’s side. Rion regained control over his body quickly after the application of the medicine, as he sat up.

‘How are you feeling?’ Lio asked.

‘Tired, and thirsty.’ Rion replied calmly as Lio reached into their supply bag for some water for his father to drink. Rion drank it slowly, before turning to Lio and asked.

‘What happened to the Tigrex?’

‘It ran off. It was really strong but we managed to scare it off.’ Rion nodded, expressing how impressed he was with his son’s new hunting team. Dr Ena then said.

‘While we are quite knowledgeable about the Tigrex, we have never really studied this subspecies in great detail. I would really appreciate it if you guys could...’ Rion looked at Dr Ena frowning as he interjected.

‘Subspecies?’

‘Yes sir, what we saw was a Brute Tigrex. In terms of physiology, not much is different from its distant cousin. They are both extremely vicious, aggressive, and not to mention strong. But the Brute Tigrex are born with an exceptionally strong vocal organ in its throat which is normally absent from the typical Tigrex. This explains why we’ve been hearing the terrifying roars throughout. While the roar is similar in terms of pitch, it is very much different in terms of magnitude and volume. We scholars have yet to decipher the mystery as to how it is able to manipulate sound waves to use as a weapon. Truly intriguing.’ Lio looked at Rion as they exchanged equally worried looks. After getting Rion up, Lio now went over to Deimos and wrapped his arms around him.

‘Is he alright?’ Deimos’ tears had stopped flowing at this point, but his heart was still aching as he continued stroking Phobos’ cheeks.

‘Yeah he’s fine, but looking at him like this just makes me...’ Deimos couldn’t finish his sentence as he brought Phobos up to his face and pressed him next to his left cheek. Rhodes was preparing the same lifepowder medicine used for Deimos’ wounds the last time for Phobos, and was now applying it over the cut on his left eye. Shortly after she was done applying it, Phobos began twitching as he opened both his eyes and saw Deimos looking straight at him.

‘Hey there, buddy!’ Phobos’ face lit up as a bright smile appeared. He reached both his paws upward, reaching for Deimos’ face. Deimos lowered it willingly, pressing his cheeks against Phobos. This response from Phobos was cut short as he dosed off quickly back into slumber due to fatigue as Deimos continued cradling him in his arms.

With the team now reunited, Rion ordered them to press on, for he wanted to reach the Highlands before the day ended. The team continued the climb upward, following the elevated slope that led toward the surface. With each heavy step, the team felt the air get significantly lighter, eventually being able to remove the cloth from their faces as they breathed in the now fresh and ventilated air around them. They made it out of the Vale now, even though they crossed no distinct barrier or line distinguishing the regions, the sheer freshness of the air was a clear enough indication that the bowels of the New World were now behind them. With the ground still a very dull brownish tint, it was clear that the nutrients of the Vale’s effluvia was seeping through the earth and nourishing the environment on the surface. Despite the dull complexion, the flora blooming here was visibly more diverse. Beyond the fungi, there were now flowers, trees and corals beginning to bloom here. Vines that looked very much like seaweed laced the rocky walls of the surface, allowing visitors to scale it vertically. The floor was also hollow, much like the vine platforms of the canopy in the Ancient Forest, the floor here was seemingly made of corals and dried plants, having pores all over and allowing the nutrients of the Vale ventilate throughout the Highlands. Rion suggested that they continued their ascent until they could see daylight, and so the team pushed on, through their fatigue. They eventually made it to a reasonable height, where they caught the glimpse of the sky and the now setting sun. They saw an opening to a sheltered cave ahead where a small river was flowing out of, and Rhen shouted.

‘NOPE! No more caves for me!’ She said as she walked around the entrance, continuing on a path that circled the cave. Just before Rion could stop her, the familiar storm clouds began forming overhead. The same ones they witnessed before descending into the Vale. They turned the sky from a bright refreshing orange to a pitch black veil concealing the sun. Rhen looked up and shivered in fear before taking a few steps back and turning back to the group.

‘Cave is fine...’ As she darted into the safety of the sheltered cavern. The team intruded into the well ventilated area, where multiple water bodies were present and a nice dry area was available for the team to make camp. The ponds were pretty large, housing quite a number of fish and other aquatic life, which was a nice treat for the team, being able to abstain from bread for once. The three boys quickly set up the tents while Rhen looked for kindle to make a fire. Rhodes sat by the small stream with Phobos as she washed his wounds. Once Deimos was done with his tent, he went over to sit next to Rhodes. Rhodes then turned to Deimos and said.

‘You know your little palico friend saved our lives out there...’

‘Really?’ Deimos flashed a look of surprise.

‘Yeah, they came out of nowhere, and fought the swarm of Girros off when Phobos was attacked. Looks like your little acts of kindness really do go a long way.’ Rhodes now placed her hand on his shoulder, reaffirming him. While the youngsters were setting up camp, Dr Ena stood beside Rion and checked in on him.

‘You feeling alright, sir?’ Rion shook his head.

‘The wounds are fine, but those black clouds are not encouraging at all. I would not want to confront another Elder unless I really have no other choice.’ Dr Ena nodded in agreement. Rion then continued.

‘Better get these hunters prepared for a Kirin, I don’t want to...’ Rion was interrupted by a worried look on Dr Ena’s face, which led him to ask. ‘Something wrong, doctor?’

‘I’ve seen Kirin’s storm clouds before sir, they are just as black as these ones.’ Rion then perked his eyebrow as he asked.

‘Well, then what’s the problem?’

‘There wasn’t a single bolt of lightning...’


	26. Edge of Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

With the camp now fully set up, the squad finally found some time to themselves. They could relax, recuperate and take their long awaited bath in the cool fresh pools that the Highlands made available to them. Rhen wasted no time and was already nude in the pool, once again having no regard for the men around the camp. Thankfully, the pools were quite a distance from where they made camp, so they were spared from the embarrassing view. Rhodes finished tending to Phobos’ wounds, and laid him on a leaf beside the small stream to rest. She placed a small coral sponge on his head to serve as a pillow, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Once that was done, she went ahead to join Rhen at the pool for a much anticipated shower.

‘Woman! Take off your clothes!’

‘Uhh... No... I’ll shower like this, thanks...’ Rhodes entered with her undergarments still on, joining a very naked Rhen in the pool. Rhen lunged at her, trying to rip off her bra.

‘You shy about showing off your assets?’

‘Hey! Stop molestin-...’ The two girls stopped their squirming when they noticed a topless Eros walking by, still unaware of their presence. Before they could react, however, Eros turned to see Rhen fully nude and Rhodes with one side of her bra pulled down, revealing her right breast.

‘OHH! I’m so sorry! I didn-...’ Rhen ran out of the pool, and reached out, grabbing Eros’ right arm, pulling him into the water.

‘Lover boy! Come join us!’ Rhen said excitedly as she dragged him into the pool with them.

‘AHH! Wha-...’ Eros was so in shock that he didn’t even realise he entered the pool with his pants still on. Rhen they reached down to help him unbuckle his pants, pulling it down all the way and revealing his loose boxer shorts.

‘Wai-...’ Eros’ words came out too slowly as he found himself exposed in front of the two ladies. It didn’t help that his boxers were now wet in the waist deep pool, showing off the contours of his now erected 5-inch member.

‘Somebody’s excite-...’ Rhen couldn’t finish her statement as Rhodes jabbed her with her elbow.

‘Can you leave Eros alone?! Stop raping him.’

‘It’s not rape if he’s enjoying it!’ Rhen pointing out the erection in Eros’ boxers. Eros couldn’t hide the blush on his face as he took a step back, away from the girls. Rhodes grabbed Rhen, and dragged her out of the pool, leaving Eros to himself.

‘Wait, what? Woman! Let go! I still want to... LOVER BOY!’ Rhen’s voice started getting muffled as Rhodes dragged her insistently further and further away from the bath area. Eros heaved a sigh of relief as he placed his things neatly on the side of the pool, leaving his boxers still on as he began bathing. As he was wetting his body, thoughts of Deimos began creeping into his mind. How long had it been? One? Two weeks? Since they were intimate, he didn’t really keep track, but all he knew was he would do anything for another night with him. He was still discerning whether his attraction toward Deimos was romantic, physical, or perhaps both? Was there even a difference? To want somebody for their body, was it lust? And was it bad? So many questions, so little answers. Eros didn’t feel good whenever he had the desire to caress Deimos’ body for his own pleasure, it felt sinful to some degree. But at the same time, this uncontrollable attraction came so naturally that he was finding it increasingly difficult to resist. I’ve managed to hold back for 5 years, what’s gotten into me all of a sudden? Was it the sex? Once you’ve tasted paradise, you’ll always yearn for more apparently. As Eros’ mind was occupied with all these thoughts, his attention went to the physical sensation of his own hands that were running through his toned, lean body, feeling every muscle on his arms as they flexed, and every pack on his abs. He looked down at the sensational feeling to see his member forcefully pushing his boxer shorts outward, creating a small gap at his waist and peeking straight up at him. He had been resisting the urge to release for quite some time, but now seemed like a rather risky time to squeeze in a quickie. He looked around to make sure he was alone, before turning his back to the entrance, hiding his frontal view, as he pulled the front of his boxers down, freeing his penis as it flung outward. He saw the swollen head of his penis fully outside the comfort of the foreskin begging for attention, as he reached down with his right hand and began stroking it. The initial wave of pleasure brought him over the moon, being deprived of this sexual release for so long made it taste even sweeter. The sexual energy was beginning to take over Eros as he found himself tilting his head back, closing his eyes as his right hand began stroking his member at a faster rate. His left hand caressed his whole body, starting from his neck, and coming down all the way to his groin, where he gently groped his testicles. His fingers wrapped round the sacs, bending his fingers to give them a slight tickle. The sharp sensation sent a chill up his spine, causing him to jerk his pelvis forward involuntarily.

Eros’ mind was only filled with Deimos. Deimos was the only one he truly wanted, for some reason, he felt so good just being near him, and the image of Deimos in his mind pushed him closer to his climax. And since they have had sex before, the image of Deimos’ fully nude body was crystal clear, allowing Eros to reach higher heights of his sexual pleasure. It wasn’t long before Eros found himself moaning as he teased his right nipple with his left hand, with totally no regard of his surroundings at his point. He just wanted to finish. He had a picture of him riding on Deimos; just like they did the last time, as he felt the phantom pressure on his prostate, giving him a tinge of pleasure. His lubricated penis was now being stroked harder and faster the moment it felt the deprivation of friction, as Eros let out a loud final moan. His orgasm initiated the release of his thick semen as he thrust his pelvis back and forth, milking his rod in his stationary right hand. His prominent white seed droplets now floating on the surface as he pushed the water around it, flushing it into one of the many flowing streams that circulated the water in these pools. The moment he did that, a masculine voice emerged from behind him.

‘Mind if we join you?’ Eros quickly hid his shaft sloppily back into his boxers as he turned around and saw Deimos and Lio standing behind him.

‘Uhh... Yeah, sure...’ Eros was still a little on edge, hoping he cleaned himself and the area thoroughly of any evidence. He was frantically looking around, unaware of the two now nude men in the pool with him.

‘You alright?’ Deimos asked, clearly aware of Eros’ discomfort. The familiar soothing voice caused Eros to break out of his panic and look at Deimos. But he fell back into discomfort as quickly as he got out of it when he saw Deimos nude and standing in front of him.

‘Ah uh hmmm mhh...’ Eros was at a loss for words as he saw his heartthrob now standing only a few inches away from him, nude and looking at him with a look of concern. Eros took a step back, feeling the edge of the pool hit his heel, forcing him to stop. Deimos frowned as he closed the distance Eros created and asked.

‘Something wrong?’ Eros’ face looked like it was going to explode as his cheeks started turning into a hot red colour. Lio now appeared beside Deimos, equally nude and expressed his concern.

‘I think we should come back later...’ Lio said as he turned toward Deimos. Deimos still had his eyes locked on Eros but nodded in response to Lio. Before they could leave however, Eros reached out to grab Deimos’ left arm and said.

‘It’s not you, I uhh... You guys just startled me, that’s all.’ Lio gave Deimos a nudge on his right shoulder and smirked as he looked down at Eros’ shorts. Deimos traced down and saw his penis peeking out of his boxers, sloppily concealed, with its still swollen head exposed. Lio chuckled as he left the two alone and started washing up at the other side of the pool.

‘This is so fucking embarrassing...’ Eros said as he turned away. Deimos went closer and asked.

‘Haha, nothing to be embarrassed about man. We all have to do it...’ Eros was happy to hear those words but it didn’t bring him as much comfort as he’d hoped for. So as he waited for the right words to come to him, he decided to turn toward Deimos and enjoy the view. Unfortunately, this made things worse as the view distracted his mind even more and sent the much needed blood in his brain, down to his already worn out member. His peeking penis was now jutting out a little more as Deimos laughed.

‘Come, relax.’ Deimos stretched out his arms and embraced Eros. He pulled him in toward his body, hugging him tightly with his massive arms. Eros’ face was by Deimos’ neck, their chests collided, and he found his pelvis against Deimos’ exposed, flaccid penis, Eros’ boxers being the only thing separating the two. The hug caused Eros’ member to remain stiff, as it felt the pressure of Deimos’ obliques. Ironically, this did make him relax, as he felt his muscles loosen up. Deimos placed his left hand behind Eros’ neck, giving it a little squeeze, hoping it will help him relax. Once he noticed Eros’ shoulder drop, Deimos repositioned his hands to Eros’ shoulders as he ended the hug.

‘Better?’ Eros smiled at Deimos and nodded as the two of them sat by the edge of the pool. Eros then spoke up.

‘Sometimes I really wish I didn’t feel the way I do towards you...’ Deimos perked his eyebrows as he turned to look at Eros.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I love having you in my life, in fact, it’s one of the best things that has happened to me. But my attraction toward you feels... Unhealthy...’ Deimos didn’t really know how to react to a statement like that, so he remained silent. Eros now reached out his right hand to hold Deimos’ left hand and said.

‘You know I still long for the day that we could...’ Deimos’ smile vanished from his face as he turned to look away from Eros. His mind now flooded with familiar and dangerous thoughts. Before Eros could continue, Deimos interrupted.

‘Eros, I...’

‘Yeah I know. It’s probably just wishful thinking...’ Eros beat Deimos into completing his own sentence. Deimos let out a heavy sigh as he squeezed Eros’ right hand that was still in his left hand.

‘What are you guys talking about?’ Lio came barging back in, as he sat down beside Eros, on his left.

‘Uhh...’ Eros retreated back into the safety of his awkwardness. Deimos then helped him, replying Lio.

‘We were just talking about adult stuff. You wouldn’t get it.’ Lio then perked his eyebrows up.

‘Ohh! Ok, so we playing that game now huh...!’ Deimos threw him a playful smirk. Eros immediately felt the atmosphere lighten as the two conversed over him, sparing him from the unwanted attention.

‘I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you how tensed you were the first time we bathed together?’ Lio was now winking at Deimos. Eros turned to look at Deimos.

‘You two bathed togeth-...’

‘No, no! We didn’t!’ Deimos then turned back to Lio and shouted. ‘Dude, what the fuck?’ Lio then turned to Eros and continued.

‘And did he mention about that massage tha-...’ Deimos now lunged over Eros and onto Lio, pinning him down. He placed his hand over Lio’s mouth and said.

‘STOP!’ Lio’s laughter was now being held back by Deimos’ own hands over his mouth. Eros interestingly burst out laughing as well. Deimos turned and relaxed his grip when he saw Eros loosen up. Deimos slowly got off Lio and returned to Eros’ right side the moment he saw Eros’ reaction. Eros then turned to Lio and asked.

‘Any chance I could get a massage too?’ Lio’s eyes widened and replied.

‘Ohh any time man! You want one now?’ Eros nodded enthusiastically. Deimos shifted to his right to make space for Eros as he turned to face Deimos, with his back facing Lio. Lio then knelt behind Eros, towering over him as he placed his hands on Eros’ shoulders. Lio gave Deimos a reassuring smile, which Deimos returned as he grabbed Eros’ feet, resting them over his thighs. Lio began at Eros’ shoulders, pressing his thumbs down in the middle and sliding it to the base of his neck and back down. He then pressed the base of his palm down on Eros’ back as it went lower, all the way to his lower back. Eros let out an involuntary moan of pleasure, as Lio and Deimos laughed. Lio then looked over Eros’ shoulder and said.

‘Yo, why do you still have your boxers on? Take them off!’ Deimos now shot Lio a threatening glare.

‘Huh? Uhh...’ Deimos then turned to give Eros a reassuring smile.

‘Ignore him. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.’ Deimos then turned to shoot Lio another frown. Lio then raised his hands in submission, as he continued the massage. Deimos started pressing his thumbs against the sole of Eros’ feet. While his right hand was busy with that, his left hand went below Eros’ calves and periodically squeezed them. Eros felt good, his whole body loosening up with the help of two attractive men massaging him. Then without warning, Lio bent over Eros’ shoulders, and reached for his boxers, attempting to take them off. Deimos saw this, and immediately lunged forward, stopping him.

‘LIO! What is wrong with you?!’ Lio was now staring straight into Deimos’ eyes as the two froze in this position. Eros was now lying back, with Lio’s flaccid penis above his face. Lio was still tugging at Eros’ shorts, with Deimos resisting. Eros could feel the fabric beginning to stretch and about to give way soon, with the two strong men pulling in opposite directions. He wasn’t sure what to think or feel in that position, and it could only be described as bittersweet. Deimos then whispered to Lio with them now face-to-face.

‘Stop it...’

‘Make me...’ Lio challenged. Deimos lifted his eyebrows, appalled at Lio’s sudden misbehaviour in front of Eros. Eros then spoke up.

‘Guys, if you really want me to take my shorts off I will. But please don’t tear it, I didn’t bring extras.’ At those words, Lio threw Deimos an arrogant smirk as he let go and sat back up. Deimos sighed and rolled his eyes as he released his grip from Eros’ boxers. Eros slid out of the shorts, revealing his still erected member. Deimos tried not to stare at it, because it was causing a sudden surge of blood down south for him too. Lio sat back down, wearing an arrogant smirk on his face. Eros then apologised.

‘Uhh... Sorry about my uhh...’ Before he could finish, Lio pulled him back down saying.

‘Don’t apologise for what God has given you!’ Eros turned to Lio and gave him an appreciative smile before commenting.

‘Your massage is really good. Where did you learn it?’ Lio laughed as he replied.

‘It was mostly self-taught. I somehow just knew all the right buttons to push.’ Eros enlarged his eyes in amazement. Lio then persisted as he threw the same question back at the two of them again.

‘So what were you guys talking about just now?’ Deimos was about to open his mouth to shut Lio up but Eros beat him to it as he said.

‘Ohh uhh... I was just telling Deimos how much of a distraction he is to me. Sometimes I wished I didn’t like him the way I do.’ Deimos then grabbed Eros’ right hand with his left hand again. Lio then asked.

‘Why not?’

‘Because I can’t have...’ Eros bit his tongue, but saw that Lio was still urging him to say it. Eros then reluctantly completed his sentence.

‘Sex. I still think about it every day, but it’s something that I probably will never experience again. So I...’ Lio then interrupted.

‘And why can’t you?’ Eros and Deimos now flashed Lio a very judgemental frown. Eros then replied hesitantly.

‘Uhh... Because you two are together? I would assume that no normal couple would...’ Lio then interrupted again saying.

‘But we’re not a normal couple...’ Deimos’ blood was starting to boil as he spoke up.

‘Lio, can you please stop. What are you doing?’ Lio then looked at Deimos and said.

‘All I’m saying is we’re all grown men here, and we could talk about whatever it is everyone wants and maybe come to a compromise?’ Deimos was getting extremely agitated and stopped Lio saying.

‘Is everything a joke to you?’

‘No! I’m being serious!’ Deimos then replied.

‘Well that scares me even more!’ Lio resisted the temptation to respond, as he saw Deimos beginning to get upset. Eros then turned to Deimos and said.

‘It’s ok, I’m sure Lio’s just trying to make everyone feel better...’ Deimos didn’t break his glare from Lio even at those words. Eros now turning to look at Lio, plastering a worried expression for his sake. Lio bit his lower lip to express his anxiousness as he turned back to Deimos, still glaring at him.

‘Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll stop.’ Lio then nervously tried to look for another subject to change to. He then daftly asked Eros, ‘Speaking of sex, how was your experience with Deimos?’ Eros turned to Deimos to check if he was ok with him talking about it. Deimos rolled his eyes before saying to Eros.

‘Go ahead, if you’re comfortable sharing.’ Eros then turned to look at Lio and said.

‘It was great! Deimos is really good in bed.’ These words caused a smile to appear on Deimos’ face, Lio caught it as he asked more questions.

‘So... Deimos told me he was a bottom, how was he?’ Eros then frowned and turned to Deimos and asked.

‘Wasn’t I the bottom that night?’ Deimos then shrugged his shoulders. Lio then rephrased his question.

‘Ok ok, who had their dick in whose ass?’ Eros then clarified as he pointed at Deimos.

‘His dick, in my ass.’ Lio then nodded and turned to Deimos saying.

‘That makes you a top dude...’ Deimos then frowned at him as he defended himself.

‘Look, I don’t get all your fancy terms alright? All I know is I was lying down, and Eros was on top of me, so I assume I was a bottom based on positioning. Well, now you know!’ Deimos then crossed his arms in annoyance as Lio and Eros laughed out loud.

‘You’re such a lazy top!’ Lio commented. Eros tried to hide his laughter with his left hand over his mouth. Eros then defended Deimos saying.

‘It’s ok. He was quite helpful supporting some of my body weight. It was a team effort.’ Lio then ruffled Eros’ hair, clearly appreciative of his enthusiasm and positivity.

‘I think I’m gonna head back.’ Eros said as he got up. Lio then said.

‘Yeah, I think we should too...’ Deimos then looked at Lio, replying.

‘No you’re not. I want to have a word with you.’ Deimos then turned to Eros and said. ‘We’ll see you back at camp.’ Eros then turned to look at Lio and mouthed.

‘Good luck...’ Lio plastered a worried look as he sat down beside Deimos. Deimos looked at him straight into his eyes and confronted.

‘Explain yourself, and do it quickly, because I’m struggling to understand your intentions earlier just now.’ Lio then sandwiched Deimos’ left hand with both his hands as he said.

‘Look babe, I meant every word of what I said because I want you to be happy. I know how much Eros means to you, be it platonically, romantically, physically, emotionally, I honestly don’t care. But I don’t wish for our relationship to tear anything apart. I guess what I’m trying to say is I have been asking myself if I’m ok with the two of you being intimate and quite frankly I think I am, so I’m jus-...’ Lio was then interrupted by Deimos.

‘And has it ever occurred to you that I may not even want that?!’

‘Yeah that’s fine! But I just wanna make that option available to you, that’s all!’ Lio was now squeezing Deimos’ hands tighter. ‘Please don’t be mad with me, I thought it was a good time to bring it up considering...’ Deimos started shaking his head, but his anger was clearly diminishing.

‘Listen, Eros is my friend too, so before you bring up something like this next time, you mind at least discussing it with me first?’ Lio’s eyes brightened up as he nodded obediently. Deimos then added as he continued shaking his head.

‘You’re really a pain in my ass...’

‘Ohh, you have no idea...’ Lio whispered to himself as he gave Deimos a cheeky grin, and pouncing on him, wrapping his arms around Deimos, and giving him a gentle smooch on his left cheek. Deimos and Lio returned back to camp with everyone getting ready for dinner. Rhodes and Rhen were having a difficult time catching their meal with Rhen being exceedingly impatient and scaring off their dinner every 30 seconds. Rion and Dr Ena were sat down next to a small fire discussing their plans and routes in the Highlands.

‘The girls look like they need help. You wanna join them?’ Lio asked. Deimos responded.

‘You go ahead, I want to go check on Phobos.’ Lio placed his left arm around Deimos and pulled him in for a brief hug before leaving his side towards Rhodes and Rhen. Deimos went over to Phobos, still lying by the stream sound asleep. Deimos sat down and picked him up, laying him on his lap, causing Phobos to open his eyes and greet Deimos with a pleasant smile.

‘Hey buddy! How you feeling?’ Phobos gave Deimos a miniature thumbs up with his tiny paw, causing a smile to appear on Deimos’ face.

‘That’s good...’ Deimos then ran his left hand over Phobos’ head, causing him to purr in comfort. Deimos then ran his right hand by the side of Phobos’ left cheek, brushing his thumb near the claw mark over Phobos’ left eye.

‘Eeeoww...!’

‘Sorry!’ Deimos immediately retracted his thumb when Phobos squealed in pain as he brushed too close to the still exposed wound. Phobos then reached out his paws toward Deimos’ face, as if wanting to grab something.

‘Hmm...?’ Deimos was a little confused as he raised Phobos closer to his face. Phobos then placed his left paw over Deimos’ three claw scar over his right eye, feeling the contours of the old wound. Deimos chuckled to himself and said.

‘Yeah buddy, we have matching scars now...’

‘Bitch, let’s just throw this net and catch everything!’

‘You what? No! That won’t work!’ Rhodes and Rhen were arguing over how they were going to catch their dinner when reinforcements in the form of Lio arrived.

‘Ladies, need any help?’ Rhen turned around and threw her net at Lio saying.

‘Put those guns into good use and catch us our dinner!’

‘With this?’ Lio replied as he stood surprised.

‘Well yeah! I’m not gonna stand here forever, waiting for these fishes to come swimming to this hot mama...’ Rhen said confidently.

‘You mean swim away... Did you even bathe just now? You still smell...’ Rhodes commented as she pinched her nose.

‘You watch your mouth woman, I’m sleeping on top of you tonight...’ Lio perked his eyebrows and enlarged his eyes as he heard that, tuning his focus back on catching their dinner. He attached a string to the top of the net and connected it to his slinger. He flung it outward like a frisbee toward the small pond, and as soon as the net touched the water, he reeled it in using the slinger mechanism. He managed to snag about three medium sized fishes along with two smaller ones.

‘You see? If you’re gonna do something stupid, at least have the skill to yield some results.’ Rhodes reprimanded Rhen, who wasn’t listening to her as she started squeezing Lio’s right bicep.

‘Nice work pussy cat! Looks like those guns are not just for show ya!’ Lio flashed her a smirk as he flexed his biceps, causing Rhen to widen her grip and feel a strong twitch as she squirmed.

‘Ewww! AHHH!’ Lio and Rhodes burst out laughing as they watched her run away. The squad regrouped for dinner, sitting comfortably around the warm flame and eating their long awaited freshly cooked meat. Deimos shared a medium sized fish with Phobos, with Lio and Eros sharing one and Rhodes and Rhen sharing the last medium one with Rion and Dr Ena taking the two small ones.

‘How are you feeling, dad?’ Rion addressed the group.

‘I’m alive, thanks to all of you.’ Dr Ena and Rhodes then added.

‘And so are we, thanks to you too, sir.’ Rion flashed them a smile before changing the subject.

‘Apologies to dampen the spirits, but Dr Ena and I have some disturbing news. Doctor?’

‘Due to the erratic weather conditions the past few days, I am very frightened of what may be waiting for us in the Coral Highlands. Pretty as it is, this place is no less treacherous as any terrain we’ve been to so far. And as all of you have probably noticed, the appearance of the storm clouds have made our plans of advancement increasingly complicated. We originally had the intention of making use of the high grounds to study Zorah’s true destination, but the blackened skies are causing the commander and I to have second thoughts...’ Dr Ena was interrupted by Rhen who exclaimed.

‘So we turn back?! After all we’ve been through...’

‘No. But we may want to wait things out...’ Rion clarified. Deimos then challenged.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ Rion then turned to Deimos and urged him to continue.

‘Do elaborate, young man.’

‘Right now we are working with a set of unknowns. But the longer we wait, the greater the chance that more unknowns might surface, complicating an already complicated situation. Might I suggest we continue pressing on, and face whatever comes at us like we always have.’ Rhen, Eros and Lio nodded in agreement. Rhodes then replied.

‘While I understand where the commander is coming from, I agree with Deimos.’ Rion nodded, respecting the squad’s decision as he turned to Dr Ena and asked.

‘What do you think, doctor?’

‘All of you are the reason I’m still alive and well, so I would be a fool to not place my trust in the squad’s decision. My decision goes with whatever they feel is best, sir.’ Rion smiled as he nodded.

‘Very well. We press on!’ At this, Rhen changed the subject as she asked Dr Ena.

‘Doc, what was that thing that screamed louder than my crazy widowed neighbour back in the Old World?’ Dr Ena once again needed a moment before he could respond to Rhen’s query.

‘Ohh, what we were unfortunate enough to encounter was a Brute Tigrex. A subspecies of the infamous Tigrex.’ Rhodes then voiced out.

‘Subspecies? I thought it was a variant...’

‘Subspecies, variant, mother-in-law twice removed, who gives a shit! What the fuck was it!’ Dr Ena frowned at Rhen’s crudeness, but seeing as everyone, including the commander, was amused at her bluntness, he reluctantly entertained her.

‘The Tigrex family have been notorious for being extremely aggressive and territorial. The Brute Tigrex is a branch of that family tree that was born with exceptionally strong vocal chords. It allows the monster to amplify its roar through a process which we scholars have yet to find out because these creatures are so rare, and not to mention absolutely dangerous.’ Dr Ena explained as a droplet of sweat formed on his forehead.

‘So it can just scream your head off?’ Rhen summarised. Dr Ena sighed as he nodded at the abrupt and unrefined summary. ‘Wow, that’s sick! Can you imagine my head popping and brains just flying everywhere?’ Rhen asked Rhodes.

‘No, I really cannot imagine any brains coming out of your head, my dear...’ Rhen frowned at Rhodes as she slapped her right boob. Rhodes immediately shielded her body with her arms raised now. Eros then asked.

‘Doctor, you mentioned there’s a difference between a subspecies and a variant?’

‘Yes. The difference between the two is very specific. To be put simply, a variant is the same creature that has adapted differently, while a subspecies is physiologically different.’ Eros was still frowning at the doctor, clearly struggling to understand.

‘Ok, let me elaborate. Take for example our palico friends. We have wild palicoes and domesticated ones, they are variants of each other, because while they behave differently, physiologically, they are identical. They have merely adapted differently to fit their environments. However, take for example the Anteka, a moose-like creature with significantly larger antlers and thicker furs than the Kelbi, is considered a subspecies. For while they belong to the same family, they were born with very different physiologies to battle different climates and environments.’ Eros gave Dr Ena an appreciative smile as he nodded. The team concluded their dinner and adjourned to their tents for an early night, ready to rest their aching bodies. Eros returned to Deimos and Lio’s tent, along with Phobos.

Eros sat by the side of his bed preparing to sleep. Deimos walked over him and was about to speak when he suddenly fell on top of Eros, pushing Eros to lie down on the bed, with Deimos now on top of him. A frown appeared on Deimos’ face as he was about to turn around to see what pushed him, but his turn was halted with an immense weight pressing on his back, causing his lips to press against Eros’. Both their eyes widened as they stared at each other during the forced kiss. Deimos pressed his arms down forcefully, pushing the weight behind him upward. He turned around to see Lio behind him, resting his weight on him.

‘Lio, what the fuck man?!’ Phobos then emerged from Lio’s back, smiling at Deimos, causing him to ease up just a little as Lio explained himself.

‘Phobos wanted to snuggle, so...’

‘And this is how you wanna do it? How are you able to understand Phobos anyway?’ Deimos asked. Lio then said.

‘Well he pointed his paw at you two, and he looks happy now, so...’

‘You idiot! He wants the bed!’ Lio then raised his eyebrows.

‘Ohh...! That’s what he meant... Sorry then!’ Lio got up quickly and ran over to the other bed with Phobos still on his back. Deimos pushed himself up and sat by Eros’ side.

‘Sorry, Lio’s not usually like this. I don’t really know what’s gotten into him...’

‘Haha it’s alright. I kinda like it when he’s a little crazy like that, it’s quite fun. Of course unless it makes you upset.’ Deimos let out a soft chuckle.

‘As long as you’re ok, I’m fine. I mean if I can handle Rhen, he shouldn’t be a problem.’

‘Ohh Rhen is much worse, yeah...’ The two fell into a brief moment of silence before Deimos broke it saying.

‘Get some rest...’ Deimos squeezed Eros’ right hand as he said this, before leaving to the other side of the room. He sat by the bedside with Lio already laying in it looking at Eros. Lio reached out his right hand and held on to Deimos’ right arm, giving it a little nudge. Deimos turned to look at him as Lio jerked his head to invite him to lie down. Deimos obliged and lay by his side. Initially, Deimos’ back faced Lio, but he turned around with the two of them now facing each other.

‘What is up with you toda-...’ Lio placed his left index and middle finger over Deimos’ lips as he whispered to him.

‘As much as I would like to get to know Eros better, I will only do it with you around.’ Deimos then tried to speak with the two fingers still on his lips.

‘Wh-...’ Lio then pressed harder, forcing Deimos’ lips shut.

‘Besides, you two are so awkward together, I can help ease that up. You trust me right?’ Deimos tried to ask as he struggled to move his lips, creating a muffling sound. Lio then repeated his question.

‘Do you trust me?’ Deimos let out a sigh as he nodded. Lio smiled and removed his fingers as he pulled Deimos in for an embrace as he said.

‘Then relax!’ Lio’s hands found their way to Deimos’ buttocks as he gave them a hard squeeze, causing Deimos to jerk forward as Lio embraced him. Deimos wrapped his arms around Lio’s body, and fell into a slumber in the comfort of his lover.


	27. Enveloping Darkness

Deimos was deep in thought as he struggled to fall asleep. Lio turned his back against Deimos as he lay sound asleep; both of them facing away from each other, as Deimos looked across the room at Eros who was in a deep slumber as well. He was thinking about what Lio said to Eros, and was wondering what it meant. Sure, he could’ve just taken it as it is, free from any possible implications and undercurrents, but surely that couldn’t be the case right? I mean which boyfriend or girlfriend tells their partner that they can sleep with anyone? Clearly it was either a joke or some kind of prank or... Was it a test? Was Lio setting up something to test Deimos’ loyalty in their relationship? Even though Lio didn’t seem like the type, that thought was becoming more and more plausible as it lingered in Deimos’ mind. Deimos then pushed himself up and sat by the side of the bed as he placed both his hands on the bed by his side and looked down. What is up with all these insecurities? Lio and I have been honest and frank with each other, I shouldn’t be feeling this wa-...

‘Hey, can’t sleep again?’ Deimos’ thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice behind him as he turned around to see Lio still lying down but looking at him with his right eye open and squinting. Deimos smiled at him and placed his right hand over Lio’s abdomen and replied.

‘Yeah, something on my mind. I’ll be alright, go back to sleep...’ Lio placed his left hand over Deimos’ right as he sat up and asked.

‘Wanna talk about it?’ Lio now had both his eyes opened. Deimos was unsure of how to answer that question. While he did want to talk about it, he didn’t think doing it in the middle of the night would be ideal. But before he could respond, Lio insisted.

‘I’m all ears, whenever you’re ready.’ Deimos sighed as he spoke his mind.

‘I can’t help but think that what you said to Eros about being intimate with me wasn’t literal. There’s something more to it isn’t there...?’ Lio smiled as he heard this and responded by putting his arms around Deimos’ waist while resting his chin on his right shoulder.

‘Listen, I am a very lucky man to have met an amazing person like you. And while I would love to selfishly keep you to myself, I do understand that you have your needs as well. And all I’m saying is I want you to be honest with those needs and not be ashamed about them. And I just wanna let you know that I get it! So Eros is really just an example, but what I said applies to everything...’ Hearing these words did calm Deimos down to a certain degree, even though he ultimately still needed time to soak all these in. If whatever Lio said was sincere, then Deimos would indeed count himself exceedingly lucky to have met a person like him, able to give unbridled, unconditional love and affection. Deimos suddenly felt Lio’s hands lower toward his groin region, so he looked toward Lio with a slightly worried look as Lio smiled at him and asked.

‘You need a release?’ Deimos blushed a little when he heard that, with his member reacting exceedingly quickly and erecting almost instantaneously. While Deimos would rarely turn sex down, he couldn’t deny his body still in fatigue from the journey they just concluded. So he held onto Lio’s hand, gently stopping its decent as he pressed in toward Lio’s face for a short kiss.

‘Not tonight’, Lio pulled away and smiled at Deimos, before using his hands that were still round Deimos’ waist to pull him back to bed as they dosed off into the night.

‘What are you doing with my bra?’ Rhodes asked as she woke up to see Rhen placing her bra across her chest.

‘Your tits are tiny!’ Rhen mocked as she continued meddling with Rhodes’ B cup sized bra.

‘Yeah well, size isn’t everything. Give it back!’ Rhodes then turned to look at Phobos who was also holding onto her panties, but he had it over his face, covering the entirety of his head. Rhodes then looked around the tent to see it littered with undergarments and screamed in frustration.

‘How did I ever get reduced to this?!’ Rhodes got up and started cleaning up the tent, picking up the clothes from the floor. The boys were also having a little morning action as well, namely Lio, as he started brushing his morning wood against Deimos’ back. Deimos woke up instantly when he felt the sudden rough pressure pressing against his lower back but found himself unable to turn around with Lio’s arms still wrapped around his side.

‘Lio, what are you doin-...’ Lio still had his eyes closed as he whispered into Deimos’ ear.

‘Shh... Almost done...’ Lio continued thrusting his pelvis as he said this jokingly. Deimos then jerked as he heard that, freeing himself from Lio’s grip. He turned around and pushed Lio on the shoulder.

‘Tsk, stop that!’ Lio now opened both his eyes as he laughed at Deimos’ reaction.

‘What? We all have our morning wood to entertain no? Isn’t yours...’ Lio said as he reached out for Deimos’ penis. Deimos hit Lio’s hand away in annoyance, before sneaking in a smile. Then without warning, Lio shouted to the other side of the room.

‘Eros, are you hard too?’ Deimos’ eyes now widened as he glared at Lio who reacted with a wink.

‘Umm... Yeah.’ Eros replied casually. Deimos’ shocked face now turned into a puzzled frown, still facing Lio. Deimos then turned around to Eros, still wearing the same confused look as he said.

‘Yeah, good morning to you too...’ Eros covered his mouth with his hand as he heard those words from Deimos. Eros then replied nervously.

‘Ohh, good morning!’ Lio then placed his hands on Deimos’ shoulders, squeezing them while pressing his thumb from the back as he spoke to Eros from across the room.

‘Slept well?’ Eros plastered a pleasant smile as he replied.

‘Yeah! I was so tired that I fell right asleep the moment my head touched my pillow.’ Lio returned the smile as he turned to Deimos and whispered.

‘And you...?’ Deimos turned to frown at Lio, expressing his irritation. Lio then chuckled as he kissed Deimos on the cheek, before getting up from the bed and headed out. Eros followed him, and Deimos went out shortly after. When Deimos exited the tent, he was greeted by a sorely missed supply of fresh air. Unlike the humid forest air, this had a very floral and fragrant touch to it, soft yet filled with the salty sensation from the rich nutrients of the region; emulating a sea breeze. This refreshing air lifted the mood of the team as everyone exited their tents and were once again convening to the centre of the campsite, and seating in a circle.

‘Looks like we have a favourable weather this morning! Good sun, clear skies. Let’s find that Zorah and get out of...’ Dr Ena’s enthusiasm was cut short by Rion’s serious tone.

‘Yes, looks like the weather is on our side this morning. Let’s hope it stays that way for the rest of the day...’ Lio then glared at his father and said.

‘Dad...’ Rion perked his eyebrows at Lio, initially confused at what Lio called him out for. Lio then jerked his head to the side, signalling to his father to look at Dr Ena. Rion turned to realise he unknowingly dampened the spirits by being overly serious over the weather report. He apologised and urged the doctor to continue. Dr Ena gave him a reassuring smile before continuing.

‘We need to find a good vantage point to spot Zorah, assuming he is still within visible range. Otherwise, our expedition might become more complicated.’ Rion then prompted.

‘So what happens if we are unable to spot it?’

‘Our next course of action will be to then go back and collect the tracks left behind by the beast. That will be the next best thing we could do.’ Rhen then innocently asked.

‘What happens once we find Mount Fuji? We see where it’s heading but do we follow it or...?’ Rion then turned to look at Dr Ena, hoping that he has an answer. Dr Ena looked back at Rion with an equally clueless look, so Rion decided to respond.

‘We don’t know.’ Rhen perked her eyebrows at that response.

‘The thing is we need to assess the situation as it comes. Unfortunately, because we don’t know where Zorah is heading, we won’t know what we are really dealing with here and less so how to deal with it. I sincerely hope we won’t have to deal with it on our own, but if the worst comes to pass...’ Rion then turned to Dr Ena, still maintaining his worried look.

‘And what scenario would that be exactly?’ Rhodes asked. Rion then let out a sigh before he continued.

‘The Northern region of the New World is still fairly foreign to the Commission. It is so far away from Astera that we could never really get a hold on it ever since we arrived. Furthermore, the area is inaccessible, with large crystalline structures that protrude out of the ground circling the area. These crystals are extremely sturdy and resistant to almost anything we throw at it, making our previous attempts to advance into the area unsuccessful.’ Dr Ena then took over.

‘This area is also located right where the Everstream is; the largest river in the New World. While we know where the river ends, its origin seems to be from this area that the crystals shield off from us. We scholars have always been intrigued by this region because the crystals are not normal mineral formations, they don’t seem like ordinary precious stones to be made into jewellery. Instead, we have had samples of shards from these large formations that are glowing and pulsing with energy, a form that has never been seen before. A very raw form, which is a property that is also present in samples collected from the Everstream, closest to the crystal region. Much is still not known, but all we can infer is that this place seems to be a source of energy in the New World.’ Rhodes then enquired.

‘Energy? I don’t get it. What kind?’ Dr Ena shrugged his shoulders at that question.

‘Even we are unsure my dear. All we know is that it takes a very volatile and unstable form.’ Eros then spoke up.

‘You mentioned that Zorah is dying yes?’ Dr Ena replied calmly.

‘Yes, my boy’

‘Then could it be possible that it is heading toward this place to sort of regain its life force?’ Dr Ena frowned at his statement, expressing a little confusion on his face before replying.

‘I don’t quite follow, what do you mean ‘regain its life force’?’ Eros then stumbled on his own words, unsure of how to explain himself. Lio then helped him saying.

‘I think Eros is trying to say that maybe Zorah is using this energy to extend its own life span.’ Eros nodded at Lio’s statement, with the doctor’s expression now changing from confusion to scepticism.

‘Energy is never used that way, but then again, everything is made of energy, it is only a matter of what kind. I guess if Zorah was somehow able to manipulate the energy, it could, in theory, prolong its lifespan. In which case, Zorah isn’t finding a resting place, its...’ Rion then completed the doctor’s statement.

‘Trying to stay alive. But all of this is still speculation, we still don’t know for sure.’ Rhen then vented her frustration over this seemingly pointless discussion.

‘Whether Kilimanjaro dies or is trying to live longer past its retirement, what difference does it make?!’ The whole squad now turned toward her with a very mixed set of expressions. Deimos, Lio and Eros had plain looks on their faces, while Rhodes, Rion and Dr Ena had frowns across their faces. Dr Ena then spoke up promptly.

‘Well, if Zorah dies, it will cause massive shifts in the ecology of the New World. We saw how the death of a Dalamadur created the Rotten Vale as we know it, creating not only a place of death, but resulting in bountiful life as well.’ Dr Ena paused at this to point at the Coral Highlands sitting comfortably behind them. He then continued. ‘The death of a primordial, therefore, could not only mean the creation of a totally new world, but it might mean the changing of this one as well. And we, being part of that ecology, will have to adapt and react to those shifts if we want to stay alive as well.’ Deimos then asked.

‘And if it stays alive?’ Dr Ena turned to Deimos and relaxed his gaze as he continued.

‘If it stays alive, then we have to continue monitoring its movements, as we have already observed the repercussions its presence has made. The Elders have returned because Nergigante’s attention has been momentarily distracted. Small scale terraformations have also begun occurring, which changes the environment, affecting all the ecologies around it and wherever it decides to wander. So either way, Zorah is of paramount concern and should be our number one priority regardless of its intentions.’ Rhen was scratching her head in confusion, but decided that she had best leave the brainwork to those who actually had one. Rion wrapped up the conversation and prepared the team to head out, taking full advantage of the good weather that greeted their morning.

As the team exited the cave, a path led them into an area that was protected by rocky walls. Though it wasn’t a cave per se, it sure felt like one as the team found themselves enclosed in an area, shielded from the sun. This region was much taller, with the ceiling many metres overhead, where the seaweed-like vines grew and dangled down from. The team made use of these vines that not only dangled from the ceiling but those that covered the rock walls as well, to scale the vertical heights. It was a tiresome journey, so the team had to take frequent breaks at each elevated platform the vines brought them to. This cave-like area was brightly coloured, with the vines being a mixture of a dull pink and a faint olive green. A multitude of different plants and herbs also flourished here, together with flashflies and vigorwasps that were able to survive in the protection of the dark and nutrient-rich rock formation. With an exit at the top in sight, the team made one final push toward the vines, pulling their weight with their still sore arms as they scaled the heights of this unusual cave. The moment they reached the top, their faces bathed in the warm sunlight, almost as if rewarding them for their efforts. Phobos tumbled on the ground and lay flat on his back exhausted. The team moved on without noticing Deimos and Lio still waiting for Phobos to get up.

‘Com’on buddy, gotta keep moving...’

‘Meerrrggg...’ Phobos hissed back at Deimos as he lay lazily on the floor. Deimos bent down and started poking his bulging belly.

‘See what all those sausages did to you? Now you’re not only fat, but lazy too...’ Phobos sat up straight quickly and started swatting Deimos’ finger away, irritated at the foreign sensation greeting his blubbery tummy. Lio chuckled at their interaction, as Deimos lifted Phobos up with his right hand and placed him on his shoulder.

‘Can I carry him?’ Lio asked, as Deimos turned around and looked at Phobos who had his paws outstretched toward Lio.

‘Sure, if Phobos doesn’t mind...’ Lio placed both his hands on round Phobos’ furry waist and placed him onto his right shoulder. Phobos sat down comfortably and started ruffling Lio’s hair. Deimos then said.

‘Stop messing up his hair...’ Lio then stopped Deimos.

‘Haha, its fine dude! Let him play.’ Phobos then raised his right paw in the air with a small piece of dirt in it as he opened his mouth purring in joy. Deimos shook his head while wearing a smile as he looked at the way the two of them interacted. Phobos was rarely comfortable with strangers, and he was very glad that Phobos opened up to Lio so quickly. As they were about to continue toward the group, Deimos spotted a very unusual insect, perched on the side of the exit of the cave. It was golden like a thunderbug, but its abdomen was glowing a bright blue colour. Unsure of what it was, he decided to pick it up. But before he could secure it, the insect supplied a harmless but stinging jolt of electricity, causing Deimos to release his grip on the insect, as it flew away. Strange, that sensation was commonly felt when dealing with thunderbugs but that looked nothing like one. He then dismissed it and carried on closing the distance between him and the rest of the group.

‘I’m hungry!’ Rhen shouted.

‘Shh... Stop making so much noise.’ Rhodes replied.

‘I’M HUNGRY!’ Rhodes quickly turned to her and covered her mouth with her hand and scolded her.

‘RHEN! Please behave yourself!’ Rhodes then reached into her bag and fished out some bread and honey. ‘Here, have some’. Rhen then shook her head violently, disapproving of the tasteless bread. Rhodes gave her an unamused look as she kept the bread and honey and looked away. The squad continued through to an open region, where two paths were present; one lead downward and the other led upward. Obviously the group chose the upward path that eventually led to more vines, scaling the vertical rock walls. The team reluctantly scaled the walls and found themselves on what seemed like platforms made of corals. Everyone was exhausted, and seeing that there were more vines to climb ahead, Rion decided to take a break. Before he could say anything, Rhen screamed out of nowhere.

‘FOOD!’ Rhodes turned toward the direction of the scream, and saw Rhen running toward a yellowish ball on the ground.

‘RHEN! NO...!’ Before Rhen could react to Rhodes’ warning, her face was now in a smokescreen of yellow gas, as she felt her whole body twitch involuntarily, falling to the ground and wriggling like a worm. Rhodes ran over to her, and saw her drooling on the ground.

‘H...e...l-...’ Rhen’s mouth was in the midst of uncontrollable spasms, as Rhodes stood over her with her arms crossed.

‘You deserve every second of this paralysis.’ Rhen mustered enough control to flash a frown at Rhodes as she continued shaking on the ground.

‘What happened?!’ Dr Ena now arrived with the rest of the team, seeing Rhen on the floor and Rhodes standing over her with her arms folded.

‘This lunatic thought that the Paratoad was food and went to agitate it. Now she’s appreciating why we never even consider them as food.’ Eros, Deimos and Lio burst out laughing with Dr Ena plastering a look of concern. After a few more seconds, Rhen regained control over her limbs as she pushed herself up from the ground. She stood up in front of Rhodes, with her lower jaw still struggling to align with her upper jaw, she began to speak.

‘Yeeww beeeeeessssshhh-...’ Rhen then toppled forward as her legs was still unable to hold her weight. Rhodes stepped to the side, allowing Rhen to fall flat on her face. Everyone was in tears from laughing too hard, everyone except Rion and Dr Ena, who just stood there unsure of how to react to this strange interaction among the squad. Dr Ena’s attention was then drawn away by a curious looking bug that latched itself on the edge of the coral platform the team was currently on; it was similar to the one that Deimos saw previously. As Dr Ena approached it, Deimos took this opportunity to follow him.

‘Ohh wow, I never thought I’d find one of these in the Highlands!’ Dr Ena exclaimed.

‘What is that, doctor?’

‘These are fulgurbugs! They are a mutated species and a distant cousin of the thunderbugs, quite rare. Their electric shocks are actually more potent than its cousin, which might lead you to assume that these guys should have an easier life in terms of defending themselves right? Well, wrong. The mineral that causes their electricity to be blue is highly sort after by its predators, so much so that they find it worth the risk to hunt these over the thunderbugs. Furthermore, you know that the thunderbugs’ main application is for shock traps yes? Well we were able to make an even more powerful version of it using the fulgurbugs, but it proved useless because the voltage was so high that it actually killed the monster during one of our trials. This eventually led to the smithy suggesting that we use it in weapons instead, which has actually proven rather effective so far.’ Deimos was intrigued by this new information as they continued staring at the insect. Dr Ena then muttered to himself. ‘But if you’re here, then it shouldn’t be far off...’ Deimos then turned to the doctor and asked.

‘It?’

‘Zinogre. This large canine beast has formed a symbiotic relationship with the fulgurbugs. Due to the unique physiology of the creature, it has adapted to make a home on its back for these curious little critters. And it has found a way to house them out of danger, while its conductive spinal plates on its back is able to extract the very nutrients that so many creatures sought after. During this process, the Zinogre is able to command the same electricity these bugs have as its own. And since the bugs no longer need it for protection, it would gladly surrender it to the Zinogre for its own use. Another natural wonder this is.’ Deimos then went straight to the point and asked.

‘These Zinogre, are they good tempered?’ Dr Ena shot Deimos a look of excitement as he replied.

‘They are terribly aggressive. Extremely territorial, and...’ Deimos’ look turned to that of concern as Dr Ena stopped himself from continuing.

‘Ohh... Yes, let’s just hope we don’t bump into it...’ Dr Ena then turned back toward the beetle, and grabbed it by the thorax, careful not to touch the abdomen and placed it into a capsule in his bag pack. Deimos observed the way he handled the specimen, and took note of the precautions he took, knowing that this knowledge would come in useful in the future. The two returned to the rest who were seated down around Rhen who was still recovering from the paralysis.

‘What did you guys find?’ Lio asked as Deimos took a seat beside him.

‘We found a fulgurbug. It’s like a thunderbug but with a blue butt.’ Lio tried containing his laughter as he asked.

‘Wha-...?’ Deimos then told Lio what the doctor told him.

‘Ohh... Zinogre, yeah I’ve heard of that creature before. Never seen it before though. Wouldn’t it be cool if we...’ Deimos was now frowning at Lio as he said.

‘You do realise that if we bump into one, we have to fight it right?’ Lio then smirked at Deimos as he grabbed his left bicep and gave it a hard squeeze.

‘What’s the matter? Your babies still sore from yesterday?’ Deimos jerked his left arm away from Lio’s grip as he retaliated with a punch on Lio’s right bicep.

‘You mean yours aren’t?’ Lio then raised his hands up, flexing both of his large biceps as he turned to Deimos.

‘Well, they gotta be constantly ready for someone’s pleasure right?’ Deimos’ eyes enlarged slightly as he felt his cheeks warm up a little. He did have a thing for big arms, and Lio’s ones were perfect in Deimos’ eyes, so he was thankful for that. He was now staring at Lio’s fully flexed arms and widened chest as he remained transfixed. Lio soon took notice due to the prolonged silence as he lowered his arms and spoke up.

‘Haha, you ok dude?’ Deimos then looked at him and said.

‘Yeah I’m fine. Just admiring you, that’s all.’ This time, it was Lio’s turn to feel the warm sensation on his cheeks. His fair skin complexion made the blush a little more obvious.

‘Argh, fucking toad.’ Rhodes then corrected Rhen, saying.

‘The toad was fine, you’re the fucked up one.’ Rhen burst out laughing as she snatched the bottle of water Rhodes was holding in her hand and rehydrated herself. Once Rion saw that everyone was recuperated, he signalled to continue on, seeing that the good weather endured the whole morning. He didn’t want that good fortune to be wasted just because the team enjoyed a prolonged break. They were now faced with one final vine-covered wall that disappeared halfway due to the clouds; a testimony to how high that wall was going to lead them. They diligently scaled the wall past the cloud layer, and reached the top, getting a full view of miles and miles over the whole Highland region. While it was magnificent, the sheer height caused a thick layer of clouds to cover most of the colourful lower levels where they came from. Dr Ena immediately got to work, as he began scanning the horizon for Zorah. All he could see were the tips of the neighbouring mountain ridges, and even though they looked very much like the volcanic rocks on Zorah’s back, none of them quite fit the bill. Just before Dr Ena was about to report the uneventful news, Eros exclaimed.

‘Is that mountain... Moving...?’ Dr Ena then turned back and aligned his eyes to Eros’ and soon he too saw a ridge of three mountain tips cutting the clouds slowly.

‘Yes! That’s Zorah! We did make it in time.’ Dr Ena then turned around, attempting to locate the sun. ‘And it’s heading North! Ohh, ohh dear...’ Eros turned to Dr Ena, sharing his concern. Zorah was clearly disinterested in the Coral Highlands as he is long past this region. The elevation of this area gave the illusion of proximity, but Zorah was really quite a distance away from them. With Eros and Dr Ena so fixated on Zorah, they failed to realise that something was seriously amiss. The two only realised as they returned to the group with everyone looking up.

‘Uhh... What are ya’ll looking at?’ Eros asked innocently, with no response from them. Then Deimos replied.

‘Is it normal for the sky to start turning dark?’ Dr Ena then replied confidently.

‘Yes of course, the sky turning dark usually means that...’ Rion then stopped him and repeated what Deimos said.

‘The sky, doctor, not clouds.’ Dr Ena then bit his tongue, suddenly remembering that they were above the clouds. And so as he looked up, and began appreciating why the team was concerned, his eyes starting to darken by a sea of grey. He had never seen something like this happen before, and it scared him even more as this phenomenon further confirmed that this was not the work of a Kirin but something very different. But what? He still did not know, and was not very keen on hanging around to find out. Dr Ena then turned back to the team, who was now looking straight at him, waiting for an update on the situation.

‘I... I don’t know what this is, but I can assure you, it’s not natural...’ Rion then sighed as he led the team back down with haste. The team wasted no time and ignored their fatigue of their muscles through the adrenaline as they rushed down from the elevated regions of the Highlands. Coming down was surprisingly harder than going up, as they felt their pace slow down significantly when descending vertically. Occasionally, the team would look up and check the sky for any changes. It was now a very dark shade of grey, with the white clouds adding texture to the darkened sky, it created a very intimidating image overhead. And when the team thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, Eros exclaimed.

‘That’s a strange looking thunderbug, its butt is blue! And there’s so many of them around!’ Dr Ena jutted his head back and locked eyes with a worried Deimos. Rion knew what the presence of fulgurbugs meant too, so he quickened the pace even more. As they finally reached the open area that had a path leading downward, they were greeted by a large blue hound-like creature, that had yellow scales that jutted out of its body, forming not only a protective layer around its body, but also connecting to its claws on its feet, and horns on its head. The whole lower jaw of the beast was like a large hardened scale adorned with thorns that continued on the side of its back. Amidst this rough silhouette of thorns, was a soft coating of pristine white fur, which started from the side of its ears, all the way to the tip of its broad flat tail. There were scaly plates along its back that were moving individually, revealing the pockets within its hollow centre, which emitted a very familiar bluish glow. As quickly as this was seen, fulgurbugs began dancing around these plates, and crackles of blue electricity could be seen to emit along the whole spinal region of the beast. The creature had its back turned to the team, so they attempted to sneak around and back toward where they came from. Just before they reached the path, the Zinogre turned its head slightly to the left, as if picking up a scent. Rion stretched out his left hand to signal the team to stop while his right index finger rested over his lips. The team was now directly behind the Zinogre, and as the creature turned to its left, it slowly turned its gaze upward toward the now pitch black sky. It began growling as the plates along its spine perked upward and fully erect, causing electricity to begin crackling not only around its spine, but along its whole body. The team followed its gaze toward the black sky, and were left dumbfounded to what was above them. A large black shroud with iridescent lights appeared above them, creating an almost hypnotising effect. The lights flickered through the random lines that danced in the air, alternating between different shades of red and blue. Rhen then put into words the thought that filled everyone’s mind.

‘What in the fuck is that?!’


	28. The Abyssal Tyrant

‘I... I don’t believe it...’ Dr Ena looked up in awe as the shrouded figure descended slowly. The squad was backing off slowly, seeing that its attention was exclusively toward the Zinogre, who was now crackling with bright cyan lightning.

‘Doctor, now would be a good time to speak your mind...’ Rion urged without taking his eyes off the threats in front of him.

‘That is Namielle, an Elder Dragon that is notorious for controlling any element associated with the seas. I didn’t think it would show itself so freely. We’ve never sighted...’ Rion then rudely interrupted.

‘So do we run?’ Dr Ena then flashed Rion an apologetic look and said.

‘Yes, run!’ The squad immediately turned tails and ran without care of the two large creatures still in the midst of a stare down. Namielle, however, was not prepared to let the team off that easily, as it torpedoed downward, landing in front of them and blocking their path to where they came from. The team was now sandwiched between it and an agitated Zingore behind them. The hunters instinctively formed a protective circle around Rion, Rhodes and Dr Ena, with Lio and Deimos facing Namielle, and Rhen and Eros facing Zinogre. Rion took a step forward to join this protective circle, standing beside his son and facing Namielle. Lio turned to his father and said.

‘The moment there’s an opening, get out of here.’ Rion nodded without looking at him, with his hammer already in his hand. With Namielle now grounded, its body was in full view and the details were now clearer to the eyes. The whole backside of its body, from its neck, through the back of its wings, and to the tail was cosmic black like a shroud. Its wings were like a single piece of cloth, neatly connected at its spine, showing no clear partition. While the backside of the creature was a plain pitch black, the underside was a whole different sight to behold. It had a very scaly texture all around its skin, the tough and overlapping scales provided the creature with not only defensive but offensive prowess as well. The scales illumined blue and red, bright colours that were used to dazzle and stun its foes. This colour scheme followed throughout the underside of its body, and even under its wings. However, the wings had veins which were not only coloured, but produced light as well. The lights were the same as the ones they saw before, iridescent flashes of dancing colours, ensuring it maintained the predominant red and blue. Namielle’s snout also had whiskers which synchronised seamlessly with its veins on the wings, creating an dazzling light show. Its body was moist and thoroughly dripping with a transparent fluid, presumably water, for what purpose, the team did not know just yet. Namielle stood menacingly in front of the squad, but had its gaze on the much larger figure behind them. So at this point, Rhen shouted across the group at Dr Ena saying.

‘Anything we should take note of, doc?!’ Dr Ena began sweating as he replied.

‘Damage Zinogre’s spine to weaken his control over the fulgurbugs, it should make the fight easier by taking away its control of lightning. The spines contract rapidly when the temperature drops, forcing the fulgurbugs to evacuate, significantly weakening the beast. You can also...’ Rhen then interrupted Dr Ena.

‘What about the wet one over there?’ Dr Ena then turned to Lio and Deimos and said.

‘I... I’m sorry but I don’t know anything about Namielle. We will be in the dark for this one.’ Deimos and Lio acknowledged Dr Ena with a nod as they heard this, increasing their anxiety ever so slightly. Just before the squad made their first move, Namielle beat them to it by raising its forelegs in the air and stretching its wings, flaring up the iridescent flashes. The moist coating all over its body suddenly seemed to begin moving, first it moved downward, which looked normal, but after a brief period it started flowing against gravity and toward the creature’s shoulders. As the team maintained their focus on the creatures, preparing themselves to react at any moment’s notice, Rhen made a seemingly worthless comment.

‘Is it fucking raining?!’ The hunters heard her but maintained their gaze. Dr Ena and Rhodes looked up and were greeted by a few water droplets landing on their face. Rion started moving the group away from both creatures, trying desperately to get Dr Ena and Rhodes to safety, but with Namielle and Zinogre constantly circling them, it was near impossible to break the formation. Rion was getting impatient and frustrated, feeling sorely tempted to initiate a fight to rile up the beasts, but he decided against it after considering the risks. He didn’t have to fight this temptation for long, as Zinogre foolhardily leapt over the squad with its right forepaw raised slightly. While in midair, fulgurbugs could be seen dancing around its right shoulder, supplying a respectable amount of electrical energy to its foreleg as the muscular limb delivered a powerful downward blow toward Namielle’s head. Namielle arrogantly strafed to its right a little, causing Zinogre to miss its strike entirely, but the crackling lightning burst into a violent explosion which scraped the side of Namielle’s left wing. The creature didn’t flinch at all, and retaliated with a strong jet of water that came from its mouth. Zinogre took the full blow of the stream, as it tumbled over to its right side as the powerful jet connected with its left shoulder. The powerful stream combined with the cooling water crippled the Zinogre significantly as the team observed some fulgurbugs flying away from the Zinogre’s back, clearly sensing the danger their host was currently facing. Rion took this opportunity to signal Rhodes and Dr Ena to hide and get to safety. Rhodes wasted no time as she grabbed Dr Ena and ran toward the path that went downhill. Deimos signalled Phobos to join them, not wanting to risk him getting hurt another time. With the defenceless individuals out of the way, the hunters were now ready to act accordingly. They desperately wanted to flee with the duo, but seeing that this might cause the monsters to follow them and place the whole group in danger once again, they decided to assess the situation while the two creatures continued their brawl.

With Zinogre’s left side now facing Namielle and seeing that its head was exposed after the water jet, it did a somersault in the air and forcefully smashed its tail down at Namielle’s face. The Elder quickly arched its left shoulder to use its left wing to shield its face from the blow, causing Zinogre’s spiked tail to barely scratch the tough hide. Once again, Namielle retaliated by swinging its head toward Zinogre, wetting its entire back with a splash of water. While the fluid itself did not harm Zinogre, the force at which the water hit its back was enough to push Zinogre further away from Namielle. Zinogre was now drenched in the harmless liquid, feeling its body temperature beginning to drop dangerously, it decided to activate all its fulgurbugs in its last-ditch-effort to defend its territory. The Zinogre turned its body to face Namielle, bringing its frontal paws together as it arched its back and faced the sky, releasing a deafening howl. Concurrently, fulgurbugs sparked and lightning began crackling around Zinogre, causing erratic cyan explosions all over its body. The spikes all around its body had a cyan highlight to it signalling the overflow of power and energy. The Zinogre used its right foreleg and dragged it backward on the floor, before leaping into the air performing another somersault. Together with the energy now pulsing throughout its body, the lightning trial created a beautiful cyan wheel as it came crashing down toward Namielle. Namielle pressed its moist body down on the ground, flattening its wings on the ground as well, as it used its hind legs to kick it toward the hunters. It slid effortlessly away from the Zinogre, and was heading straight toward the squad. They broke their formation as Lio and Deimos rolled to the right, and the rest rolling to the left. The hunters, together with the two large creatures, were now standing in a circle, facing one another. The Zinogre recovered almost immediately, performing the same clawing motion on the ground before leaping into the air for another cannonball. Namielle reacted in a similar way, sliding its body to the right once more, having no regard for Lio and Deimos that were standing there. They rolled out of the way once more and then without warning, the Zinogre flung itself in the air for a third time, but aimed its landing directly at where the two of them were now at.

‘MOVE!’ Deimos shouted as he pushed Lio to the side. Namielle did not anticipate this, as it slid instinctively to where Deimos and Lio were, falling right into Zinogre’s anticipated strike. The blow landed directly on Namielle’s head, both the force and the strength of the lightning was felt as the Elder Dragon staggered momentarily backward. Zinogre was now looking straight at the Namielle who had finally tasted a tinge of its power. Namielle took a brief moment to recollect itself, before tucking its head in and stretching its wings upward. This motion caused its whole body to suddenly surge with its own electricity; not cyan like the Zinogre, but a deep bluish tint. At this juncture, Zinogre took a few steps back to assess the new weapon dished out by its adversary but its attention was briefly stolen by a puddle of water that its left hind leg now found itself in. As Zinogre looked around, it now realised that the whole area was thoroughly wet by not only the rain, but Namielle’s constant streams of water as well. Even the body sliding was wetting the ground, for what reason, both Zinogre and the hunters were about to find out. The lightning on Namielle’s body was controlled masterfully as the deep blue energy was seen to flow around its body smoothly from its shoulders and round to the edge of its wings. It then used its wings to lightly tap a puddle of water in front of Zinogre, causing it to violently bubble and eventually exploding into steam. The hot steam landed on Zinogre’s face, causing it to wail in pain, its right paw slightly scalded by the electrocuted water as well. Zinogre found itself at its wit’s end, as it began to realise how futile its efforts were at fighting off this powerful Elder Dragon. Not only was the beast faster and smarter, it disallowed Zinogre from using its most powerful tool in its arsenal as well. Zinogre turned toward the hunters, not forgetting the presence of the initial intruders, as it began taking a few steps backward. Rion looked at Lio, who shared the same look of concern on his face. Lio then spoke to Deimos saying.

‘Any ideas of what we should do next?’ Deimos then chuckled to himself and said.

‘Honestly, I feel like running.’ Lio laughed as he teased.

‘Afraid to get wet?’ Deimos turned and flashed him a quick frown before turning back toward Namielle. Namielle seeing that Zinogre was revaluating the situation and becoming much less of a threat now, decided to turn its attention to the significantly smaller animals that had funny looking metallic sticks in their hands. Namielle then decided to initiate by firing a stream of water at both groups of hunters. It started with Rion, Rhen and Eros on its right side, then shifted its aim to the left, where Lio and Deimos stood, before going back and forth, spraying the whole area sloppily. While the Zinogre was still in front of Namielle, it backed off quite a distance and so was unaffected by its attacks. The two groups dodged away from the beam of water before all five of them advanced toward the beast, beginning their assault. Everyone knew their roles in the fight, and without saying a single word, each hunter took a position around the enormous creature. Rion stood his ground in front of the beast, Eros and Deimos positioned themselves to the side of the creature; with Eros on its right and Deimos on its left. Lio ran straight for its tail and Rhen aimed for its wings, occasionally grounding herself when Namielle so decides to fold its wings. Eros began swinging his blade at Namielle’s hind leg, attempting to pierce or at least damage the tough scales that covered it. He did so to no avail. So he began trying to hit it with his shield, hoping that a blunt impact force might do the trick. Unfortunately, that didn’t yield any results either. Rhen too was having issues with its wings. Interestingly, the actual texture of the wings was not tough nor rough, it was actually smooth. That was actually where the problem lay, because her glaive failed to achieve any respectable amount of friction, which caused the wings to be able to maintain its integrity. Frustrated, Rhen decided to stop her offense and study the opponent first. Lio too was having difficulty, not so much with hitting the beast but rather clawing onto it. The clutch claw mechanism was having trouble maintaining its grip on to the slimy beast, slipping off constantly whenever he fired at it. So he decided to swing his greatsword while he was grounded instead, hoping to deal more damage in that manner. He stood at the heel of Namielle’s hind legs, and lifted his blade over his head, allowing it to fall directly at the stem of its tail. The large surface area of the shrouded wings caused his heavy blade to slip along the tail and off to the right side, resulting in Lio falling to the ground. Deimos too was trying to figure this creature out, with any hit from his blade not doing much work on the tough and slippery scales the creature’s body. He had to find a way to remove the moisture... That’s it! He turned the dial on his shield to that of fire, the phial now glowing a unique reddish blue from the bits of Glavenus’ tail shard enhancing its combustive properties. Deimos wasted no time and started storing as much energy as he could through both his shield and his blade.

Rion seemed to be the only one that was not having much of an issue as he faced the monster head-on, literally. Namielle only had him in its sight as it charged in for a bite. Rion took a quick step to his left, and with Namielle’s head conveniently positioned on his right now, he swung his hammer upward, colliding it with its chin. The upward swing caused Namielle to gag a bit, as it jerked its head back up and out of Rion’s reach. Deimos was busy using his blade to strike Namielle on its foreleg and realised that it wasn’t doing much to harm the creature. But before he could reposition himself, he saw a shadow getting larger as his surroundings started getting dark. He looked up, and saw Namielle’s left wing swiping downward toward Rion, and about to hit him on its way there. As he tried to roll toward its tail, the water on the ground began moving; similar to the strange phenomenon witnessed for the moisture on Namielle’s body in the beginning. The puddles began creating small but strong currents within their own enclosed systems, causing anyone or anything in them to get carelessly swept away. Deimos found the currents pushing him toward Namielle’s abdomen, and so he thrust the tip of his shield upward. The hide was significantly softer and much less scales were found there, causing Namielle to jerk upwards in response to that foreign jab. However, it recovered quickly as it raised its forelegs, preparing to come crashing back down with electricity now surging through the sole of its feet. Deimos saw this and lunged toward Eros who was now in front of him, tackling him out of the numerous puddles that had formed around Namielle. As they got up, they turned to see Namielle prime all the puddles around her, causing a large and loud explosion, with hot steam now showering the vicinity.

‘Thanks for...’ Before Eros could finish his sentence, they saw Namielle towering over them, with its mouth wide open, and water beginning to gush out. Deimos quickly grabbed Eros with his left hand and pulled him in, while raising his shield with his right hand to cover both of them. Eros shut his eyes, terrified, but Deimos kept his open to make sure Eros was ok. Just before the torrents exited its mouth, a large flat spiked tail appeared from the side and collided with Namielle’s face, causing the water stream to miss the two hunters entirely. Namielle turned to its left to see the Zinogre still here and with enough vigour to continue the fight. Deimos got Eros up quickly, repositioning themselves properly. With Namielle’s attention briefly drawn away from the hunters, Deimos took this opportunity to charge his phials into his shield, as he aimed his axe right at the base of Namielle’s neck, and gambled as he landed the strike there. By the time Namielle noticed this foreign metal object slamming down on it, it was too late. The axe collided with its moist chest and slipped past it. Due to the lack of friction, the impact was not enough to ignite the phials. But as the axe continued its downward motion, it eventually connected with Namielle’s right feet, and successfully lodged its blade into one of its toes. While the initial impact caused Namielle much pain, what followed was much more agonising. The phials exploded and released a wave of scorching flames toward Namielle, scalding its face, neck and part of its wing. The immense heat instantly evaporated the moist layer that was protecting it from direct blows of the hunter’s weapons, leaving it now extremely vulnerable. The bright vibrant and hypnotic iridescent colours of its skin now turned into a dull grey colour. Namielle was now the one taking a few steps backward. As if on cue, the Zinogre now lunged viciously toward Namielle, using its sharp horns to pierce and impale the beast. The previously moist skin was now vulnerable to direct blows as Zinogre’s horns pierced the side of Namielle’s neck, revealing the significantly softer flesh that lay underneath. Namielle wailed in pain as it used its strong forelimbs to push Zinogre off.

Lio quickly got back to work on its tail by firing his claw. With the skin now dry, he could hold onto the creature as he unsheathed his blade, and pushed it downward, forcing the point of the blade to lodge itself into Namielle’s skin. Rhen saw the opportunity to cripple its wings, and so wasted no time and flew upwards into the air. She sliced the now soften hide, creating gashes and cuts on the previously smooth black shroud. Eros too returned to the creature’s side, inflicting his noxious toxin quickly into the beast by sinking his blade into its abdomen. Namielle reacted to the sudden influx of pests by violently smashing her forelimbs on the ground. Rion, who was standing in a puddle of water, was forcefully flung off as the water geysered upon impact. Namielle then spread out its wings and laid it flat on the ground before performing a sweeping motion inward, causing all the water puddles to once again create currents of their own. This time, they pulled everything closer to it. The hunters were struggling to fight the strong currents, as they now found themselves under the belly of the beast. Namielle then rested its full body weight on its hind legs as it lifted its forelegs and tilted its head downward, looking straight at the group of hunters now lying under it. Its mouth began gurgling, as it forcefully spat out a large volume of water downward. Unlike the previous water jets that took the form of a beam, this was thick and broad. Upon impact with the ground and the puddles, similar geyser reactions started triggering, causing a violent tsunami to form in front of Namielle, pushing the hunters as well as any debris it could find along the way further away from it. With all the hunters now nowhere near the beast, they revaluated their situation, feeling a surge of confidence return as they saw the damage their weapons dealt to the creature. Zinogre wasted no time and pressed the attack as it went in for yet another blow. It started with a familiar lunge once again, attempting to strike Namielle with its right paw, which Namielle successfully dodges by stepping to the side. But with its body now dried, its mobility has been significantly strickened, and was therefore unable to dodge the tail strike that Zinogre immediately followed up with after the pounce. The 180 degree spin from the Zinogre came out quickly and without warning, building up a large amount of momentum in its tail and releasing it the moment it collided with Namielle’s cheek. The impact caused Namielle to stagger as it started limping to the corner of the open zone, injured and weak now. The hunters were not interested in confronting either of them any further, but the Zinogre was clearly adamant on standing its ground. The tides of battle quickly turned toward the Zinogre’s favour as the fulgurbugs began returning, its spine crackling with energy, granting it the much needed power to finish its foe off. With Namielle cowering at the side of the zone, and Zinogre’s attention not on the hunters, Rhen asked.

‘So what now?’ Rion was about to suggest they leave, but was interrupted as Namielle unsuspectedly opened its mouth to flood the whole region in an ankle deep pool, before taking flight vertically up. It stayed airborne for only a brief second, as its whole body began charging up whatever lightning and energy it had left into its feet. While the Zinogre raised its head clueless at Namielle, Rion shouted at the hunters.

‘RUN!’ The hunters quickly turned around and took off toward the downward path. The path ended with a ledge that overlooked another large open field. Thankfully the cliff had vines that allowed them to abseil down safely. The moment Deimos found himself at the edge of the cliff, he foolishly turned around and saw the black figure dive down and igniting the whole zone, causing every droplet of water to explode violently; even whatever little moisture that was found on Namielle’s own skin. The explosion was so violent that even the hunters could feel the rock wall shake. The other hunters wasted no time and began their descent but Deimos was still keeping his eyes on the scene. He saw the Zinogre fall motionless to its side after the explosion, and the Namielle’s complexion was extremely dull after it landed. Clearly exhausted and dehydrated, it surveyed its surroundings briefly, looking for the hunters, before it walked off toward the elevated regions of the Highlands, and disappearing back into the darkness.

‘Phew! That was close...’ Rhen said as she was the first to touch down from the cliff. Rhodes and Dr Ena were hiding against the wall the hunters climbed down from as Dr Ena was worn out from the abseiling and didn’t want to go too far from the team. The instant they saw them reach the bottom, they got up on their feet and ran toward them. Rhodes ran straight to Eros, Dr Ena straight to Rion and Phobos ran straight to Deimos.

‘Is everyone alright?’ Rhodes asked as she checked Eros for injuries.

‘We’re good, everyone’s ok...’ Just as Lio said this, Rion began grunting as he pressed his left hand on his ribs, trying to lower himself down to the ground.

‘Dad!’ Rion looked up and smiled at his worried son saying.

‘I’m getting too old for this shit. That Namielle really packed quite a punch...’ Rion shut his eyes in pain as he continued pressing against his rib.

‘Your father has injured his ribs, again. It’s an old injury. Sir, I’ve told you before, yo-...’

‘Could die if I sustain another injury. Yes, doctor, I am fully aware and I appreciate your concern.’ Dr Ena knelt down and immediately started tending to the commander’s wounds that the geyser caused. Lio knelt by his father’s side, with a worried look still plastered on his face. Rion then signalled him to go help the rest and that he’ll be ok, so Lio reluctantly left him.

‘I’m fine, buddy, really!’ Deimos was trying to stop Phobos from licking the small cuts and bruises on his arms and legs caused by the debris in the violent currents Namielle created. Lio appeared from behind and knelt down on Deimos’ right side asking.

‘Can I lick you too?’ Deimos turned to Lio and flashed him a smile saying.

‘Maybe later.’ Lio’s eyes brightened up a little when he heard that, before turning into a more serious tone.

‘You alright?’ As Lio asked this, Phobos now climbed on him and started licking his wounds. Lio allowed him while still giving his attention to Deimos.

‘I’m beat man, I don’t think I can handle another fight without at least one full day of rest...’ Deimos said this as he started rubbing his right shoulder. Lio could empathise, and he too was looking forward to a day with no confrontation of any kind; a peaceful expedition. Such wishful thinking would only lead to disappointment, so he decided to chuck it away, at least for the time being. Deimos quickly turned to look at Rion and asked Lio.

‘How’s your dad?’ Lio turned to look at his father from a distance and replied.

‘He says he’s fine, but...’ Lio then let out a heavy sigh before continuing. ‘I think I might insist that he stop joining us during these fights, for good, I think age is really starting to catch up to him.’ Lio then sniggered to himself as he continued. ‘But what’s the point, he won’t listen. There’s a reason why he makes such a good commander; good at giving orders, not so good at following them.’ Deimos turned to Lio and gave him a sympathetic smile. Lio then asked Deimos.

‘Would you support me? If I asked him to stop?’ Deimos smiled at him and said.

Deimos paused for awhile, thinking of the implications of his response. He eventually replied.

‘Yeah, I’ll support you.’ Lio smiled at him and gave him a firm pat on his back, grateful for his support.

‘Rhodes, I’m fine!’ Eros was trying to calm Rhodes down, with her fretting over him excessively. She was scanning him from head to toe for any bruises or cuts, brushing her hands all over his body. Rhen then jealously walked up to both of them and said to Rhodes.

‘Woman, check me, I might have a cut on my cleavage.’ Rhen then flipped her armour up, revealing her breasts that were only supported by a thin bra. Rhodes stared at them briefly and said.

‘They look fine.’ Rhen pouted in annoyance and turned to look at Eros and said.

‘Fine! I’ll help you check Eros then!’ At these words, Eros’s pupils shrunk and he started taking a few steps backward. Unintentionally colliding with Deimos, who was now behind him. He turned around and said.

‘Sorry!’ Deimos smiled at him, but before he could respond, he saw Rhen charging straight at Eros. So he pushed Eros to the side and behind him, placing himself between them.

‘Ohh... Want me to check you first I see... Alright... Where should I begi-...’ Lio then emerged from the side and stood in front of Deimos, placing himself between them. Rhen squealed in excitement as he turned around to Rhodes saying.

‘LOOK! All the guys are queuing up for me to check them!’ Rhodes then rolled her eyes and went to the back of the queue to continue tending to Eros. Rhen then stared at Lio, who was inviting her to touch him wherever she wanted. Deimos then whispered to Lio.

‘What on earth are you doin-...’ Lio then lightly elbowed Deimos in the gut, preventing him from completing his question. Rhen then shamelessly reached out for Lio’s chest. As she placed her palm on it, Lio flexed it, causing it to twitch.

‘LIO! You are so disgusting!’ Lio burst out laughing as he saw Rhen trying to walk around him to get to Deimos.

‘Wait, that’s it? You haven’t even checked my arms yet!’ Rhen was now trying to run away from Lio.

‘Your fucking muscles are alive, I’m not touching them!’ Lio was now chasing Rhen, trying very hard to brush his muscles onto her hands. Deimos couldn’t hold back his laughter as he saw the way the two of them interacted.

‘He’s quite a guy’, Deimos turned when he heard those words, and smiled when he realised they came from Eros.

‘Yeah he is. We’re lucky to have him in the team.’ Deimos replied calmly. He then broke his attention away from Lio as he asked Eros. ‘You alright? Are you injured?’

‘No I’m not injured, I’m fine, but Rhodes insists on...’ Rhodes then jutted upward and placed her index finger over his lips and said.

‘Shh! I’m trying to be thorough here!’ Eros then turned to look at an equally terrified Deimos as the two remained silent. Lio returned to his father’s side, with Phobos now on his shoulder and said to him.

‘Dad, there’s a small area that’s well hidden, accessible only through a small hole we can crawl in. Do you think you can manage?’ Rion looked up and saw the entrance that Lio mentioned and nodded, his face still reflecting the agony he was in. Dr Ena then turned to Lio and said.

‘You guys start making camp, I will escort your father there safely.’ Lio gave Dr Ena a grateful nod, before returning to the hunters and giving them their next instructions. The hunters hurried through the small hole, which then opened up to a humble, cosy area with just enough room for their usual three tents, so they wasted no time and began pitching the tents. Rion and Dr Ena emerged through the hole shortly after the hunters, and made their way straight into their tent. Once the second tent was done, Lio grabbed Deimos by the arm and pulled him in whispering.

‘Let’s go get some dinner.’ Deimos perked his left eyebrow and asked.

‘Why are you whispering?’ Lio then rolled his eyes and ignored Deimos’ question as he dragged him through the hole and back out into the Highlands.


	29. Essence of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘You look tired...’ Lio said casually as he looked over at Deimos.

‘I am. What I would kill for a day of res-...’ Before Deimos could finish his sentence, Lio squat down in front of him with his back facing Deimos. Then without warning, he grabbed both of Deimos’ thighs with his hands, and straightened his back, supporting Deimos’ full body weight on his back.

‘Woah! Hey!’ Deimos was a little taken aback by Lio’s sudden decision to carry him.

‘Didn’t you say you were tired? Let me carry you then.’ Deimos tapped the back of Lio’s shoulder gently as he responded.

‘Yeah, but I can manage my own weight, no need to...’ Lio had already begun walking, clearly ignoring the words that Deimos was saying. Eventually, Deimos gave up trying to convince Lio to put him down, so he just rested his chin on Lio’s right shoulder with his arms wrapped round his neck. As the two continued, they eventually came to a ledge that required them to abseil down toward a well-sheltered area of the Highlands, it was at this point where Deimos insisted Lio put him down. As the two descended, the true beauty of the Highlands began revealing itself to them. Just like a forest, this region was well-sheltered by towering vegetation, but they were not normal trees, they were plants with leaves that had a very radiant pinkish colour to it. The walls were made of both rock and coral formations, which added bright shades of blue and green to the dullish grey tone of the gravel. All around this place were what seemed like hollow trunks, not exceptionally large but a perfect size for about three to four people to rest in, providing invaluable protection from the wildlife as it blended well with the landscape. As soon as Lio saw one of these trunks, he grabbed Deimos’ right arm and rushed over, taking refuge in it. The hollowed trunks had small holes around it, just large enough for its inhabitants to survey their surroundings for any impeding danger. As the two entered the trunk, Lio mumbled to himself.

‘Nice and cool in here...’ Deimos didn’t hear what Lio said but noticed a small pack of Shamos barely a few metres from the trunk that they were in. These medium sized quadruped reptilian beasts would make an excellent catch for a team of seven, Deimos thought. He crept over to another opening on the opposite side of the trunk, getting ready to strike.

‘Just a little closer...’ Deimos said to himself as he noticed the pack coming closer to them, still oblivious of their presence. As Deimos was about to lunge at them, he felt a firm grip on his left shoulder pulling him backward and then pushing him violently against the wall with his back pressed against it.

‘Lio! What the hel-...’ Deimos’ words were abruptly interrupted by a foreign force pressed against his lips. With his eyes still wide open, he felt Lio’s tongue trying to intrude into his mouth, as it stroked his lips pleading them to open. Deimos was still a little in shock but decided to allow Lio the temporary pleasure of the kiss as he parted his lips. Lio wasted no time as he began licking Deimos’ mouth lining gently, eventually resting it in the middle of Deimos’ mouth, looking to intertwine with his tongue. Deimos then felt Lio’s hand run down from his left shoulder onto his chest as it gave him a rather firm squeeze. Deimos jerked upward as that sensation sent a shot of ecstasy throughout his body. Lio’s hands picked up the pace as it began exploring Deimos’ body at a faster rate, his left hand now joining his right as it rested on Deimos’ tightened abs. It wasted no time as it slid down toward his coil, forcing its way into it, and attempting to wake up the dormant member. As soon as Deimos realised this, he reluctantly broke from the kiss by pushing Lio away with both his hands on his shoulder and looked straight into Lio’s eyes.

‘You want to do it here?’ Lio smiled at Deimos with his hands still locked in place as he pushed himself toward Deimos, resting his forehead against Deimos’. Lio closed his eyes and replied.

‘Only if you’re ok with it’, Deimos was so ready to let Lio take him, but his logical mind was standing in the way, reminding him of the danger that was around them here in the wild. But at the same time, these imminent threats somehow added to the thrill of doing the act here. It not only excited him to a certain degree, but it urged him to forsake his rational mind for just this brief moment. It didn’t help that Lio was so calm and composed about it, allowing Deimos to truly relax in the midst of all of this. So without warning, Deimos retracted his head so that he could look Lio in the eyes, with his hands still on Lio’s shoulders, he swapped their positions so that Lio was the one with his back now pressed against the wall. Deimos then knelt down and violently pulled down Lio’s coil along with his pants and undergarment, revealing his still flaccid but respectable sized penis.

‘Ohh...!’ Lio exclaimed, as he clearly wasn’t expecting such a quick and decisive response from Deimos. Lio immediately cooperated as his member erected quickly after being freed from its fabric prison, standing stiff in front of Deimos’ face, pleading for attention. Deimos gladly obliged as he opened his mouth to take in the now fully erected shaft. Lio’s penis was significantly larger than Eros, causing Deimos to overestimate himself as he tried to take the whole thing in. Deimos gagged as Lio’s member touched the back of his throat, causing Deimos to retreat back to the head. After a few blows, Deimos found the right amount that he could take, and from there he merely repeated the motion. Lio wasn’t holding back as his moans of pleasure were loud enough for Deimos to hear, sending signals down south for him as well. Deimos then reached down with his right hand to push down his own coil, flipping out his own stiffened rod, wasting no time as he began stroking it. His left hand crept up along Lio’s body and stopped at his right chest, groping it tightly. This caused a reactionary thrust from Lio’s pelvis, pushing his shaft deeper into Deimos’ mouth. Deimos also began his involuntarily mumbled moaning with Lio’s penis in his mouth as he pleasured himself. Lio placed his left hand behind Deimos’ head, giving him a little control over the blowjob that he was enjoying, while his right hand caressed Deimos’ adventurous left arm that was still on his chest. After a few more blows, Deimos released Lio’s member totally, as he looked at the saliva drenched penis now dripping from the head through the stem. The sudden deprivation of friction caused Lio to look down at Deimos. Before he could say anything, Deimos resumed entertaining the shaft. This time, he went to the left side of the penis, and wrapped his lips around it, and slid it along the shaft, pulling the foreskin back slightly with his mouth. Lio felt a surge of pleasure as he shut his eyes again and let out another moan. With his hand still on Deimos’ head, he began digging his fingers into his soft white hair, massaging Deimo’s scalp, as if communicating his approval of Deimos’ servicing. Lio could barely contain his arousal as he began thrusting his pelvis, in sync with Deimos’ stroking. Deimos then relieved Lio’s chest from his left hand as it came down to join his mouth on Lio’s penis. It supported the opposite side and cupped the right side of Lio’s penis and stroked it along with his mouth. Deimos’ right hand then rose up to grab Lio’s other chest, pleasing it while his left hand was entertaining Lio’s member. Lio was now grabbing Deimos’ head and arm with hands with significantly more force as his body surged with lustful energy. He began jerking his pelvis faster and more erratically, causing it to occasionally slip from Deimos’ grip. As Deimos noticed the more vigorous thrusting beginning, he now returned to the front of the penis but pushed it upward so that it was now pressed against Lio’s abs, revealing the underside of the thick rod. Deimos gave Lio’s testes a gentle nibble before sticking his tongue out to trace a path from the sack along the shaft and to the underside of the tip. Lio’s thrusting did not slow down, as he intentionally started rubbing his penis against Deimos’ tongue, coating it generously in both saliva and pre-cum, that was now dripping from Lio’s glistening rod.

Once Deimos’ tongue reached the head, it didn’t stop its ascent as it got a taste of Lio’s abs. Deimos occasionally transitioned from his lick to a kiss, biting down gently on Lio’s fair and now sweaty skin. Deimos continued this until it reached Lio’s left nipple, as he gave it an initial lick. He then clamped his lips around it and used his tongue to trace circular motions around the nipple diligently. The nipple erected quickly causing Deimos to press his tongue against it harder, which made Lio jerk his pelvis once again, rubbing his member against Deimos’ tan firm chest. As Deimos tried to advance further upward, Lio rested his right hand on Deimos’ shoulder, holding him in place, as he continued thrusting his penis against his chest. Deimos looked down at Lio’s penis clearly enjoying the company of his firm chest as he wrapped his flexed right bicep over the exposed topside of the shaft, covering the entirety of the rod as Lio continued his thrusts. This action caused Lio to waste no time as he began pushing his member deeper and more violently against Deimos. Deimos saw how easily the well lubricated rod was sliding between his grip so he decided to tighten up the hole and making it smaller and create more friction. Lio left hand now transitioned down to hold Deimos’ right shoulder as it grabbed his bicep firmly, causing it to flex even more and tightening the space further. Lio let out an even louder moan as he maintained the speed of his thrusting. At this, Deimos reluctantly dismantled his makeshift prison seeing that Lio was close to ejaculating. Lio continued a few more thrusts shortly after his source of pleasure was removed as he looked down with a look of disappointment on his face.

Deimos ignored Lio’s penis momentarily as he continued his adventure upward, resuming at Lio’s left nipple. Lio’s frustration was starting to annoy Deimos as he noticed Lio’s right hand slide back down to his own shaft, eager for release, so Deimos forcefully used his hands to grab both of Lio’s arms and placed them over his head, pressed against the wall. Deimos then used his right hand to hold on tightly to both his wrists, ensuring they don’t wander around too much. This posture revealed Lio’s armpits and the underside of his muscular arms, which turned Deimos on quite a fair bit. Seeing Lio’s pitiful expression after doing this, Deimos looked down and saw Lio’s twitching rod begging for attention. So Deimos pressed his own penis against Lio’s, this new sensation excited Lio as a smile appeared on his face as he looked into Deimos’ eyes. Deimos used his free left hand to wrap around the twin rods as they now stood head-to-head, rubbing off each other. Now with his left hand entertaining his lover’s shaft, albeit slowly and controlled, Deimos’ attention now shifted back to his fetish of Lio’s large biceps. He started licking Lio’s armpits, tasting the salty sweat that began forming, piquing his senses. He continued along Lio’s arms as he caressed his triceps with his tongue. Lio kindly started flexing his arms, enlarging his already muscular arms even larger. This made Deimos even more eager as he began biting Lio’s triceps and round to his biceps, wetting it thoroughly with saliva. This was also throwing Lio over the edge, as Deimos noticed Lio’s thrusting beginning to pick up speed again. Lio’s saliva drenched penis was beginning to dry but he felt a layer of lubricant beginning to produce at the tip of both their shafts. Deimos had considerably more since Lio’s was already secreted earlier on, so Deimos used his left thumb to spread his generously over both rods, momentarily stopping the stroking of their penises. Deimos transitioned to coat their members using the palm of his left hand, as it too was now covered with pre-cum. Lio’s dick was now swollen and red, as Lio was obviously losing all sense of himself as he struggled to fight the urge to release, thrusting mindlessly against Deimos’ rod. Deimos didn’t want to frustrate Lio too much, but he didn’t want Lio to ejaculate too soon either, so he quickly moved over to Lio’s neck and gave him a nibble before whispering to him.

‘Are you close?’ Lio replied with his eyes still closed.

‘Yes, very...’ Lio’s moaning in conjunction with his eager response was pushing Deimos to the edge as well. He gave Lio’s neck a few more licks before he released his grip on Lio’s wrists and pushed him down to lie down on the ground. Lio followed Deimos’ guidance obediently as he lay down, with Deimos seated on his chest and his buttocks facing him. Lio involuntarily perked his hips upward, inviting Deimos to entertain his still swollen penis. Deimos reluctantly ignored that invitation and focused on his own penis as he began stroking it against Lio’s chest now. Sliding it in between Lio’s cleavage, spreading some of the pre-cum on his skin. Lio felt the stiff rod sliding along his chest, so he used right hand to locate the foreign object rubbing on his chest and tried grabbing it. Deimos pushed his hand gently away, clearly wanting contact only from his chest. As Lio’s left hand slid up and down Deimos’ firm and muscular body, his right hand remained persistent as it continued trying to hold onto Deimos’ penis. Eventually, Lio had a weird grip on Deimos’ head; with three of his fingers clamping around it, with his thumb over the head and the index and middle finger supporting the underside. Deimos had never seen anyone hold a penile head in that way, but the sensation was no less pleasurable as Lio began a gradual twisting, massaging the head exclusively. This foreign way of masturbating was causing Deimos’ body to twitch uncontrollably. As Deimos felt his pelvis thrust more and more, eventually he felt his penis slide into Lio’s hand, with the head now pressed against his palm and his three fingers still wrapped around the shaft. Lio continued this massaging motion as Deimos felt his orgasm creeping in. This was when Deimos turned his attention back to Lio’s still erected penis, as he bent down and straightened his back, dangling his rod over Lio’s mouth, while his own mouth was directly above Lio’s. As if on cue, Deimos lowered himself and Lio arched his back to bring his shaft into Deimos’ mouth. Just as this happened, Lio opened his mouth to take his first taste of Deimos’ penis. He went straight to work as his tongue began stroking the head in a circular fashion. This was making it increasingly challenging for Deimos contain his orgasm, as he increased the speed of his blowing. The two of them remained in this 69 position, working diligently to pleasure each other. Lio had his right hand on the base of Deimos’ member, pulling back a bit of his foreskin to expose the more sensitive inner layer to pleasure Deimos more. His left hand was going downward, and tracing the underside of Deimos’ muscular body, thoroughly feeling every muscle that was now tensed up and flexed, the firm contours of Deimos’ beautiful abs and chest was making Lio extremely horny and was inching him ever closer to his climax. His efforts to hold back his ejaculation was becoming increasingly difficult as he finally let out a final moan along with both his hands grabbing Deimos’ waist, squeezing it hardly as he wailed.

‘Deimos! Ahh...!’ And without warning, Lio ejaculated into Deimos’ mouth. Deimos wasn’t expecting the squirts of warm semen, but he gladly took it in, as he reacted by performing a final downward blow. He used his lips to clamp tightly round Lio’s dick, sliding down relentlessly and pulling down as much foreskin as he could. Lio’s first stream of milk squirted into Deimos’ mouth, which Deimos gladly swallowed, taking in the rich sweet and salty fluid down his throat. However as Lio continued feeding him after the first squirt, Deimos overestimated his ability to control Lio’s load, causing him to gag and release Lio’s penis from his mouth. Lio’s shaft now stood erected in the air, still ejaculating more semen. The white fluid continued shooting from the tip of the head and now onto Deimos’ neck and chest. Deimos leaned in closer and aimed Lio’s penis toward his tanned body, as he continued milking it by cupping it between his right bicep and forearm, squeezing as much semen as he could from Lio. Once the penis started squirting considerably less semen, Deimos lowered himself back down to lick Lio’s rod, careful not waste any semen that trickled down around the shaft.

The taste of Lio’s semen was gently reminding Deimos that his load was still sitting uncomfortably within his own shaft, so he turned around and looked at Lio, Deimos’ hand still holding on to Lio’s penis.

‘Your turn...’ Lio struggled to say amidst his heavy panting. Deimos then turned around, with his penis now facing Lio’s face. Lio cupped both his hands around Deimos’ shaft and started stroking it vigorously. The sudden introduction of friction caused Deimos to shut his eyes in pleasure as he jerked his pelvis forward while he leaned back, allowing his sensitive penis to remained unprotected and in the hands of Lio. Lio wanted Deimos’ semen so badly, so he started stroking Deimos’ member harder and faster with his right hand while his left hand caressed the muscular body that was now fully stretched backward in front of him. He quickly traced Deimos’ abs and groped his chests, teasing his nipples momentarily before moving further upward. Lio now bent his upper back to sit up slightly, allowing his left hand to reach Deimos’ neck, squeezing it tightly as his right hand increased the speed and rigor of his strokes. He looked down to see Deimos’ penile head now swollen red. Lio was now in a good position to tease it with his mouth, so he stuck out his tongue and brushed the tip of the head with his tongue, this was apparently enough for Deimos to climax as he moaned loudly.

‘AHHH...!’ Deimos wailed as he swung his right hand to the front and round the back of Lio’s head, pulling it barbarically toward his now leaking shaft. His penis was now spewing a fountain of white fluid, showering Lio’s face, neck and chest with it. Deimos didn’t care and was in heaven, so he continued thrusting his rod against Lio’s face. Lio was more than happy to see his partner in euphoria, even if it was at his expense, he really didn’t mind, in fact he loved it, that was what maintained his erection even after his ejaculation. Lio licked off Deimos’ milk off the tip and along the shaft, similar to how Deimos was cleaning him up moments ago. His face was now smeared with semen, and so he began running his finger around his cheeks and sucking them clean. When Deimos was done climaxing, he looked down panting and said.

‘Sorry about the mess…’ Lio smiled at him and continued collecting the precious semen and depositing it into his mouth without swallowing. Lio then used his hands to push Deimos to sit further down along his abs until Lio could sit up. As he did this, Lio licked Deimos from his oblique up toward his chest, along his neck and eventually reaching Deimos’ mouth. This left small extremely obvious white droplets of semen along Deimos’ dark, tan body. Lio forcefully fed Deimos a bit of his own seed while swallowing the rest in the middle of the kiss. Lio continued pushing forward as the kiss was occurring, causing Deimos to constantly lean backward, until he found himself sitting on the ground and his tailbone and back now tucked and pressed against the wall. As Lio continued invading Deimos’ mouth with his cum-laced tongue, his right hand did what Deimos did to him previously; he held on to both his arms at the wrist against the wall. Lio’s left hand looked for and found Deimos worn out penis and began stroking it again. The over sensitive shaft sent a wave of discomfort throughout Deimos’ body, causing him to jerk and pull away from the kiss. Before he could say anything, Lio pushed back in to continue the kiss, disallowing Deimos to speak. Lio didn’t stop his stroking, which was beginning to make Deimos quite uncomfortable and his penis was starting to hurt a little. So Deimos forced himself out of Lio’s grip and pushed him away gently, ending the kiss. Lio looked at him smiling but Deimos said.

‘I’m done, leave it...’ Lio looked down at Deimos still swollen penis and bent down, attempting to take it in his mouth. Deimos was starting to feel a little annoyed, so he placed his hands on Lio’s shoulder pushing him upright so that they faced each other as Deimos repeated himself.

‘Hey! I said I’m done... It’s starting to hurt, please...’ Lio’s smile turned to a worried expression as he replied.

‘Ohh, ok sorry. I thought you were just saying that to...’ Deimos gave a puzzled look and asked.

‘To...?’

‘I don’t know, to spice things up?’ Deimos’ look became even more confused.

‘What? I mean I’ve cummed, so that’s it isn’t it?’ Lio’s face was now a very weird mixture of amusement and disappointment, it was difficult to describe.

‘Well, you could always cum more than once?’ Deimos’ eyes widened as he heard that. This guy is mad! Isn’t he worn out after ejaculating? What is he talking about multiple cums? Deimos was now a little worried as he stared at Lio, inching away from him subconsciously. Lio leaned forward toward him and placed his hand around Deimos’ neck.

‘Hey, hey! Relax! I’m not trying to scare you or anything, it’s just I don’t exactly know what you enjoy, so I’m just trying everything I know. It’s alright if you don’t like it.’ Deimos’ throbbing heart was momentarily calmed as he heard this, so he replied.

‘Let’s stick to one cum for now, at least for me. I mean if you’re up for another go, I could always jack you off or give you a blow, but I’m done...’ Deimos said this while noticing Lio’s still erected penis. This man really has some stamina, he thought to himself. Lio laughed when he heard this but shook his head and said.

‘Only if it gives you pleasure. We can work things out slowly, not a problem.’ At those words, Lio leaned in for another kiss, to which Deimos gladly accepted as he pressed his sweaty body against Lio’s. The two stayed nude in the hollowed trunk and cuddled up for a while more before returning to camp with dinner.

‘Where did you say those two went again?’ Rhen questioned Rion.

‘To grab dinner.’

‘And you said they left about an hour ago?’

‘Yes.’

‘So they left in the middle of the day to grab food for a meal that takes place at the end of the day?’

‘Yes, I believe that meal is called dinner.’ Rhen frowned at Rion and responded.

‘Yeah, dinner, late, so why leave so early?!’ Rion knew what the cause of Rhen’s confusion was but chose not to entertain her as he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Rhen dug her fingers into her hair and began tugging at it in frustration. At this point Rhodes came up to her and said.

‘What’s up with you? Why does it matter how early they went to grab our food?’ Rhen then turned around in frustration and lashed out at Rhodes.

‘It’s all too damn suspicious! Think about it, they left without informing anyone in the squad, they disappeared together, just the two of them. And they left so damn early to prepare for a meal that is at the end of the day!’ Rhodes maintained her frown and replied.

‘Ok, thinking about it.’ Rhen stared at her contently and full of hope, only to be disappointed when Rhodes replied after a few seconds saying, ‘Nothing.’ Rhen let out a loud and heavy sigh, feeling helpless that no one in camp understood her predicament. Eros then joined them shortly and asked innocently.

‘Whatchu’ guys talking about?’ Rhen ran up to him and grabbed him by the collar and asked.

‘Lio and Deimos left about two hours ago to grab our dinner! DINNER! Tell me you feel something fishy is going on, lover boy!’ Eros turned to look away for a brief period, deep in thought, but turned back to respond.

‘They probably just wanted some time to themselves? I don’t know, I honestly don’t see anything wrong though.’ Rhen’s eyes lighted up briefly and focused on the first part of Eros’ reply.

‘Time to themselves? Can’t they just have it here? In their tent? Its not like they are having sex or anything, and sex out there in the wild? That’s messed up!’ Rhodes rolled her eyes and walked away. Eros was blushing a little at that because he was quite turned on by the thought, but he was very conscious about the company he was with at the time, so he snapped out of the daze quickly. Before Rhen could continue, the two gentlemen emerged from the small entrance of the camp with two dead Shamos rested on their backs. Rhen ran up to Deimos and stared at him suspiciously. He looked at her with a surprised look as he handed his Shamos to Lio.

‘Yes?’ Deimos asked, to which Rhen then interrogated.

‘Where have the two of you been?’ Deimos perked his eyebrow and jerked his head toward the two dead Shamos that Lio was carrying and said.

‘Grabbing food for you guys?’ Rhen was unconvinced as she traced her finger across Deimos’ body. Deimos let her but maintained his frown. Rhen then brought her finger to her nose and gave it a whiff.

‘Hmm... You smell like... Men.’ Deimos’ frown turned quickly to a puzzled look. Rhen then bent down and started whiffing Deimos’ body starting from his abs up to his chest. Deimos tilted his head backward as he rolled his eyes as his patience was running thin. Before he could walk off, he felt a wet sensation on his left nipple as he looked down quickly to find Rhen’s tongue sticking out and coming in contact with it.

‘You fuckin-...!’ Rhen retracted quickly as she heard those words, sneaking in a laugh and running away. Lio who was at the side saw what happened and he too began laughing. Deimos flashed Lio a middle finger with his right hand as he walked toward him to help prepare dinner.

Lio and Deimos prepared a fire and the squad gathered round the hearth as they watched the Shamos meat cook slowly above it. As everyone was waiting for dinner to be served, Rion asked Dr Ena.

‘So, doctor, what do you suggest we do?’ Dr Ena was shaking his head as he replied.

‘I’m seriously out of ideas commander. It seems that our suspicions of Zorah heading north toward the Everstream has been confirmed now. So whether we should continue following it or return with reinforcements is something I am unsure of too. I guess we could open it up to the floor. What do you guys think?’ Dr Ena now turned toward the hunters as he said this. Most of them were clueless and had no opinion on the matter. Until Rhodes spoke up and asked.

‘While it would probably help to know the potential dangers beyond the Everstream, it can’t be helped that you too don’t know what lies beyond the crystal formations. But maybe you could tell us more about the energy that you scholars have managed to study at least to some degree?’ Dr Ena gulped before he started speaking.

‘As you know, we know little about the type of energy that exists within the Everstream. But there are a few things that we scholars were able to find out.’ Dr Ena took a breath before continuing. ‘The energy is very raw and unstable and is only contained by a hardened chrysalis. Once broken, the energy is violent and volatile, reacting destructively with everything it touches.’ Rhen then interrupted saying.

‘Great, so we’ll be walking into a minefield...’ Dr Ena turned to his gaze to Rhen as he continued.

‘Not really, the crystalline shell is not easily broken, and even if it was, the amount of energy within each crystal is not substantial enough to cause significant harm. Perhaps just a slight scald, but that’s about it.’ Deimos then asked.

‘But you mentioned that there were crystal structures blocking the way right? Are those large enough to harm if they were shattered?’ Dr Ena replied.

‘Well yes, but those are too large for us to even get near to cracking them. So I wouldn’t worry about them too muc-...’ Deimos then conveniently reminded.

‘So until something large enough, like Zorah, approaches and shatters them, and potentially causing a large explosion.’ Dr Ena suddenly realised where Deimos was coming from. He turned to Rion with a worried look before turning back to Deimos and continued.

‘That… is actually a good point, young man. It could actually be a cause of concern...’ Rion then continued.

‘If that’s the case, we may not have time to return with reinforcements. We have to continue following Zorah and find out what its real intentions are. Otherwise everything that we’ve done so far will have been for naught.’ The team nodded in agreement, but no one was particular excited about the journey ahead. Perhaps it was just due to the fatigue after facing off two fearsome beasts, but at this point, it was really hard to say. Dr Ena, after seeing the dampened spirits, decided to change the subject.

‘While still on the topic of energy, this energy that flows from the Everstream is what gives everything in the New World life. So while I started out making it sound destructive, it has the potential to be benign.’ These words did cause many ears to perk and turn their attention back to Dr Ena, accompanied by some smiles, which pleased the good doctor. So he wasted no time and continued, ‘We have a magic specialist back in Astera who is in-charge of imbuing your weapons you use now with the magic that has kept all of us alive so far. Now he was particularly intrigued by this energy, and he pleaded the commander for permission to experiment, but he refused. He didn’t want to risk blowing half of Astera up. But there was an incident that happened that, if I kindly reminded the commander now, it might change his mind...’ Rion turned to glare at Dr Ena and swiftly responded.

‘No.’ Dr Ena sighed and continued with the story, mindful that the rest may not know the context.

‘A few years back, the head chef of the canteen, met with a tragic accident near the large oven, which cost him his life. This professor, against the commander’s orders, performed an untested and unauthorised ritual which attempted to use the energetic properties of the crystal to, well, create life.’ Rhen then exclaimed.

‘So did it work?!’ Dr Ena smiled at her and said.

‘The chef that serves you in Astera still adorns the scars till this very day.’ At this, everyone exchanged excited looks, amazed at the marvel. Phobos, who was seated on the ground beside Deimos, grabbed the fabric of Deimos’ pants with his right paw while wearing a rather worrisome look on his face. Deimos reacted with a smile, and placed his left hand on his head, giving him a few light scratches, completely missing the expression that was plastered on his brother’s face. Rion then quickly added.

‘Doctor, please do not just deliver the good bits. There’s more to the story than just that.’ Dr Ena let out another sigh as he continued.

‘Well, after the ritual, the path to recovery was not exactly a smooth one. It took a full month for the palico to get back on his feet and carry on working. During which, he was running an unnaturally high and persistent fever, which the doctors had trouble monitoring and controlling. So yes, while the ritual worked, it did have some unsuspected complications.’ Rion then added.

‘And that’s why I still refuse further studies into that field. Some parts of nature are meant to be left well alone.’ Dr Ena then replied impulsively.

‘But if we don’t study it, then we will never learn anything about it!’ Rion turned to him, calm as ever as he replied.

‘Then so be it.’ The squad fell silent as the two concluded the conversation and everyone awkwardly turned their attention to their dinner, munching away in silence.


	30. Silent Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

The squad was enjoying the soft tender meat of the Shamos round the campfire, still in silence after concluding the previous conversation awkwardly. Deimos turned to his right to look at Lio, then to his left to spare Eros a glance. Both of them were all wearing anxious looks, unsure of when this silence will end. The atmosphere was tense all of a sudden, and no one dared to say a word. Rhen unsurprisingly broke the silence as she boldly asked Rion.

‘So why are you so afraid? Did something happen?’ Initially, Rion was not aware that Rhen was addressing him, but caught up quickly when he found everyone round the fire staring at him. He eventually locked eyes with her and smiled as he replied.

‘Yes, something happened.’ Rhen then blurted out in response.

‘What happened?’ Rhodes immediately elbowed her in annoyance, signalling her that it was time to zip her loudmouth. Rion noticed and chuckled as he said.

‘Its alright, you guys deserve to know.’ Before Rion continued, he looked across the circle to see Lio tilting his head and looking down at the ground. Deimos wrapped his right arm around Lio and asked him.

‘You ok?’ Lio failed to respond to his question but raised his right hand to hold onto Deimos’ right hand tightly.

‘There was someone who was terminally ill back in the Old World, someone close. The doctors tried everything they could to cure her but failed. The best they could do was to slow down the illness from claiming her life, prolonging her life by about a month or so, two at max.’ Rion paused for a while to take a bite of the Shamos meat before continuing. ‘I was not satisfied.’ The circle was beginning to feel the tensions rise despite the absence of silence now, the direction of the story taking them to a place that they’d rather leave well alone. Rhen insensitively urged Rion.

‘So what happened?’ Rion looked at Lio, seeing him dig his teeth into his meat, refusing to make eye contact. Rion then turned back to Rhen and continued.

‘I pleaded the doctors to work harder to find a cure, and eventually they found something; mandragora.’ At this, Rhodes inquired.

‘That’s great! So they managed to cure her!’ Rion looked at her and chuckled as he said.

‘No, it killed her.’ Rhodes immediately cupped her mouth with her hands, with the rest of the squad now falling dead silent at those words. Lio’s eyes began watering at those words as he started sniffing. Deimos tightened his embrace, pulling Lio closer in the moment he noticed the sobbing. Rion then continued, ‘From that day on, I promised myself to learn to be contented with what I have, and never let greed overwhelm you.’ Dr Ena then placed his hand on Rion’s left shoulder as he said.

‘But were it not for you and your wife, thousands more would be dead now without the discovery of the medicinal properties of the once-cursed parasitic mushroom!’ At those words, Rhodes recovered quickly from her embarrassment and blurted out.

‘Your wife was Eia?!’ Rion nodded, as he flashed a glance once again at Lio, who finally looked up at him with his now watery eyes. The moment Deimos heard this, he forcefully turned Lio to face him and gave him a proper hug, which Lio returned willingly as he squeezed Deimos tightly with his arms now wrapped round Deimos’ neck. With one hand on Lio’s head and the other on his back, Deimos said softly.

‘You’re ok... I’m here.’ The low pitch of Deimos’ masculine voice made Lio calm down a little, as the sobbing slowed down. Rion, seeing that Lio was well taken care of, turned to Rhodes as he responded.

‘Yes, I murdered my wife, and deprived my son of a loving mother.’ Rion then turned to face Dr Ena as he continued, ‘I saved thousands at the cost of my wife, but tell me, doctor, will I be able to find this one-in-a-million individual?’ Dr Ena retracted the hand that was on Rion’s shoulder as he retreated back into the safety of silence. ‘Didn’t think so’, Rion turned back to the squad as he continued, ‘I will never make the same mistake of risking what I already have for a mere chance of more.’ Rhen then spoke up saying.

‘That makes sense…’

Lio kept his eyes shut as he hugged Deimos, but when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a very worried Eros, who was looking straight into his eyes. Lio forced a smile toward Eros, which caused Eros to return it. Eros reached out his hand and placed it on Lio’s right forearm, giving it a firm squeeze. Lio then rest his left hand over Eros’ and returned the squeeze, clearly grateful for his concern. Lio basked in the warmth of both his lover and his friend, causing his tears and discomfort to fade away quickly.

‘Have an early night and get some rest. All of you deserve it.’ Rion announced as he got up and left abruptly toward his tent. Dr Ena got up and helped Rion into their tent, leaving the rest of the hunters. Rhodes turned to Rhen and said.

‘Good job, idiot…’ Rhen then turned to Rhodes and replied.

‘You’re welcome’, Rhodes then said.

‘I’m being sarcastic.’

‘No, you’re being a bitch.’ Rhen said as she got up and went straight into her tent.

‘Bitch? Why am I suddenly the bitch?!’ Rhodes said as she got up and followed Rhen into their tent. Deimos broke from the hug and looked at Lio, wiping away the last few drops of tears from Lio’s face. Lio then flashed a smile at Deimos and sniffed before speaking.

‘We should clean up…’

‘I’ll do it. You go get some rest.’ Lio smiled at Deimos and nodded as he got up.

‘Com’on buddy!’ Lio said to Phobos as he tapped his thigh, causing Phobos to rush over to him and climbing up onto his shoulder as the two entered the middle tent.

‘Let me help you!’ Eros said as Deimos began extinguishing the fire. Deimos turned to look at Eros and gave him an appreciative smile. As Deimos was clearing the burnt wood, Eros asked.

‘Is Lio alright?’

‘He’ll be fine. He’s a tough guy…’ Eros then went over to Deimos and placed his hands on Deimos’.

‘And are you alright?’ Deimos looked up and gave Eros a look of confusion as he replied.

‘Me? I’m fine… Just a little tired, that’s all.’ Deimos broke away from the eye and physical contact as he continued cleaning up. Eros was left standing there, looking at Deimos’ muscular back, taking in the beautiful view that was now in front of him, and basking in the majestic moonlight. Eros wasn’t conscious of his staring, to which Deimos questioned him.

‘Everything ok dude?’ Eros broke out of the trance and found Deimos now standing in front of him, with his bare chest now dirtied partly with black ash.

‘I… uhh…’ Eros found himself stumbling on his words as soon as he was in the presence of Deimos. Before Eros could speak, Deimos beat him to it by placing his hands on either side of Eros’ cheeks, asking.

‘Ok ok, relax. You don’t have to speak, just nod alright?’

Eros nodded.

‘Are you nervous over something?’

Eros nodded.

‘Is it something serious?’

Eros shook his head. Deimos then blushed a little as he asked.

‘Is it because… of me?’ Deimos felt Eros’ cheeks warm a little as he nodded slowly. Deimos smiled as he released his grip on his face.

‘You silly boy…’ Deimos then went in and gave Eros a kiss on his cheek, before holding onto his arm and dragging him toward the tent with him. Eros’ body reacted drastically to the kiss, albeit just on the cheek, giving him a surge of pleasure that he had not felt in a long while. His body was beginning to go haywire; with his senses beginning to fog, his limbs refusing to cooperate, and his fifth limb reacting instantaneously to just being in close proximity with the love of his life. Just as they reached the entrance of the tent, Eros stopped in his tracks and resisted the pull from Deimos’ strong arms. Deimos turned around, with his hand still held onto Eros’ arm and plastered a puzzled look as Eros opened his mouth and asked.

‘Can we uhh... Sit outside for awhile?’ Deimos smiled at him as he closed the distance between them before saying.

‘Yeah sure.’ The two of them sat down on the dusty floor, and enjoyed the residual heat from the warm burnt wood lying at the corner of the campsite. They looked overhead and dazzled at the clear navy blue night sky, littered with illuminating stars. Even their sense of scent was being piqued, as fragrance from the rich flora around the region continued releasing their pollen into the air even in the dark of night. Eros sandwiched Deimos’ right hand with both his hands, squeezing them tightly as he continued looking up at the sky.

‘Do you miss the Old World?’ Deimos was still distracted by Eros sandwiching his hands when he heard his question. Deimos stared at Eros unintentionally as he processed that question for a brief moment, causing Eros to turn his gaze from the sky and onto him.

‘No, not really...’ Deimos replied Eros as soon as he recollected himself. After he answered, he turned his attention back to his sandwiched right hand before continuing. ‘There’s nothing left for me there and everything that is dear to me...’ Deimos then looked up at Eros and smiled. ‘Is here with me now.’ Eros returned the smile, and was glad that he could be a part of that happiness. Deimos then sandwiched Eros’ hands as well, with the two pairs of hands now alternating between the one another. Deimos then returned the question, ‘Do you? Miss the Old World?’

‘Yeah! Sometimes I do. I miss the comfort, the familiarity. I miss my friends, my parents, I still think about them every now and then. I do wonder if and when we get a chance to go back just to visit. You know, for a few weeks or maybe a month? I also wond-...’ Deimos wasn’t really paying attention to what Eros was saying because he found himself transfixed. Amidst all of this, he was always amazed at how Eros could keep such positivity flowing, and he did it so naturally. This was a trait that Deimos found to be exceedingly rare and he always felt drawn to it. It was what made Eros such an enticing partner to begin with, and it made ending things with him that much tougher as well. Being over that phase didn’t make any part of Eros any less magical in Deimos’ eyes, and he was glad that their relationship had reached such a mature level of understanding. He had Lio to thank for that as well; he was really appreciative of how unconditional and empathetic his love was toward him. As Deimos slowly returned from his daydreaming, he tuned back to Eros who was still speaking.

‘... and the obstacle course? Ohh dude, it’s so different now that we’re out here now, I don’t even feel like it prepares us well for the real thing. A part of me just feels lik-...’ Deimos raised his left hand and placed his index finger gently over Eros’ lips. Eros immediately halted his ramble, and stared worriedly at Deimos, afraid that he might have said something wrong. The two stared at each other in silence, with one significantly more tensed than the other. Deimos slid his fingers round Eros’ mouth and cupped his right cheek. Deimos then used his left thumb to brush softly over Eros’ moist lips as he stared at them intently. Eros was getting a little riled up but feeling a little concerned at the same time. A part of him was urging him to stay silent, and let Deimos handle the situation. The sensation of Deimos’ skin on his was beginning to warm Eros’ body and raise his heartbeat involuntarily, bringing back from memories of their intimate time together, something Eros sorely missed. But even though his body and soul yearned for it, his mind and heart resisted it. How could he bring himself to entertain the thought of putting his happiness before the happiness of Deimos? Eros, amidst all of this internal turmoil, somehow managed to feel contented with whatever he had with Deimos at this point of time, and made it a point never to risk losing it. Just like what Rion said over dinner, he was not prepared to risk what he had for a chance at something more, even more so when at the expense of the other...

His eyes, his lips, something about Eros that never ceased to draw Deimos in. It wasn’t his physique, though he was fit, Lio fit the bill on the perfect body that turned Deimos on. There has always been this unknown attraction that Deimos felt toward this humble, innocent boy he met in the military. It was so subtle, that even Deimos himself didn’t even realise it until Eros’ confession, and it had been lingering ever since. The attraction felt very pure and innocent, something Deimos wasn’t used to, especially not when it involved something that was deemed malicious and vile to most. Well, clearly Lio didn’t mind, but the idea still didn’t sit well with Deimos, regardless of how liberated his partner tried to make him feel. As guilt started filling and Deimos’ chest tightening, he felt lost once again, looking blankly into Eros’ eyes, with his hands still by the side of his cheek. He too, was reminiscing their time together in bed, and how euphoric it was. As the thought began refreshing in his mind, he instinctively tightened his grip on Eros’ cheek, causing Eros to squint his right eye ever so slightly. Deimos let out a sigh and released his grip as he turned his body to face away from Eros.

‘I miss you, Eros...’ Eros’ ears twitched like a little puppy when he heard those words, his face lightening up and his eyes began to sparkle.

‘You miss me? What do you mea-...’ Deimos interrupted Eros promptly.

‘I don’t really know how to explain but I just feel good being near you. And I guess I miss that feeling.’ Eros was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable when he heard this. Not because he was shying away from a compliment, but because the last thing he wanted was to get in the way of Deimos and Lio.

‘What about Li-...’

‘Let me worry about him. Besides, I’m not saying that you’re better than him, or he’s better than you. All I’m saying is both of you make me feel good, in your own ways, and sometimes I just wanna...’ Deimos stopped himself, causing Eros to now wear a look of anticipation. Deimos then finished his sentence disappointingly, ‘Never mind’. Eros empathised with Deimos’ predicament of speaking his mind, he too knew how it felt to share your guilty pleasures. So Eros just flashed a smile at Deimos, ensuring him that it was ok.

Deimos stood up and decided to enter the tent to check on Lio. Eros followed closely behind him. As they entered, Deimos saw Phobos cuddled up by Lio’s right side, with Lio’s muscular right arm wrapped around Phobos’ tiny body. That sight sent a wave of warmth right through Deimos’ chest, causing a smile to emerge on his face.

‘Good night...’ Eros whispered as he patted Deimos’ left shoulder lightly with his right hand. Deimos turned to Eros and returned the pat with his left hand as Eros left for his bed. Deimos approached Lio slowly, careful not to wake him, and sat by the bedside. He sat there and stared at the two of them for a little longer, admiring how adorable they were. Then suddenly, Phobos opened his right eye and noticed his brother sitting by the side looking at them. He stretched out both his paws, eager for Deimos’ embrace. Deimos plastered a smirk, as he lay down beside Lio, Phobos crawling out of his arms and snuggling into Deimos’ chest. This sudden busyness on the bed was enough to wake Lio up, as he turned to his right side to face Deimos and smiled. Deimos then asked softly.

‘How are you feeling?’ Deimos stroked Lio’s left cheek gently with his right hand, brushing his fingernails against his skin. Lio grabbed Deimos’ right hand with his left and said.

‘I’m good. Phobos was good company while you were gone. His fur is really soft.’ Deimos chuckled when he heard that. Lio then continued, ‘How was your chat with Eros?’ Deimos looked up at Lio, but the smile diminished quickly, reflecting a glimpse of the internal conflict that was plaguing him. Lio then reassured Deimos, ‘It’s alright you know, we can talk about it...’

‘Is it really alright? For me to even entertain thoughts like that?’ Deimos challenged carefully. Lio then smiled and squeezed Deimos’ right hand, as if knowing what he was talking about.

‘I’m alright with it, as long as you’re happy.’ Deimos then frowned slightly as he replied.

‘Do you even know what thoughts I’m referring to?’ Lio perked his eyebrows playfully as he replied.

‘Not for certain, but I do happen to have quite an imagination!’

‘Pfft!’ Deimos then pushed Lio in the chest in annoyance, unappreciative of his tease yet again. ‘I’m serious, Lio!’ Lio then sniggered and said.

‘So am I, Deimos!’ At this, Deimos let out a sigh and looked Lio straight in the eye.

‘So you’re saying that if I went over to Eros now and had sex with him, you’re ok with it?’ Lio’s eyes widened immediately, his face plastered a shocked look. This caused Deimos to immediately respond, ‘You see?! You’re not ok with it! I kne-...’ Lio then cupped Deimos’ mouth with his hand and said softly.

‘Babe, I’m more than ok with it actually. I’m just shocked because I’m surprised you guys would do it in front of me. What a treat if I could watch you two get it on!’ Deimos’ eyes shrunk as he heard those words, his face quickly turning to that of cynicism. Lio let out a soft sigh and said, ‘Look dear, I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not mocking you, and I am serious when I say I want you to be happy, and that means no strings attached. Do whatever you want, I’m not going anywhere.’ Lio placed his left hand now on Deimos’ right cheek, supplying some much needed warmth. Deimos let out another sigh and placed his right hand over Lio’s hand that was on his cheek, holding onto it firmly. While Lio’s words did not really provide Deimos with any resolve, they did make him calm down. Deimos then began sharing what happened between him and Eros outside the tent with Lio, along with his conflictions. Lio was sympathetic, but it was maddening because he didn’t know how he could help Deimos. He decided that for now, the best thing he could give Deimos was peace of mind and space.

‘So... About our sex this afternoon...’ Lio let out a soft chuckle before continuing. ‘Did you enjoy it?’ Deimos hesitated for awhile before answering.

‘It was alright...’ Lio then plastered a frown, clearly offended.

‘Alright? That’s it? Well that sucks...’ Deimos then perked his eyebrow in confusion and asked.

‘Why? It’s not as if you planned for it...’ Lio’s cheeks began turning a little rosy.

‘Actually...’ Deimos maintained his confused look as he continued staring at Lio, waiting for him to elaborate. ‘Ever since we got out of the Rotten Vale, I’ve been yearning for some time alone with you. But it’s tough you know, you’re always so busy, and...’ Deimos then interrupted defensively.

‘Me? Busy? With what?’

‘I don’t know, but you’re always all over the place and...’ Lio then looked over Deimos’ right shoulder to steal a glance at Eros before returning his attention to Deimos. ‘I’m pretty sure you’re not very keen on sex with someone else in the tent right?’ Lio suddenly began whispering. Deimos took some time to let that thought sink in, the initial reaction was obviously a clear no. But after everything that he’s been through, especially with Lio, the line between normal and abnormal was beginning to blur significantly. He felt free whenever he was with Lio, free to do anything he wanted without judgement, something he was still trying to reciprocate.

‘Well I...’ Lio then teased Deimos again by helping him finish his sentence.

‘... want Eros to join us?’

‘Tsk! What th-...’ Deimos was honestly ok with that, in fact, more than ok. The two men in his life that he found exceedingly attractive, having sex together, it would be an absolute pleasure, he thought. But what was he thinking, a threesome? Really? Wake up, Deimos, he thought. Come back to reality, things like that are frowned upon for a reason. As Deimos was busy in thought, he was interrupted by Lio’s sudden comment.

‘I’ve never actually had a threesome before, not sure what it’ll turn out to be like...’ Deimos then flashed him a frown and said.

‘Lio, can you stop?’

‘What? Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it before!’

‘I have! But, well I...’

‘Ok then let’s talk about it. What position would you like to be in if the three of us were getting it on?’ Deimos’ face started turning hot with embarrassment, with Lio interrogating him in the middle of the night about sex positions in a threesome. He tried his best to remain calm and composed, but was struggling to do so. Deimos then decided to just go with the flow, he rarely found a way out of Lio’s games and so decided to relent and submit to them instead. So without thinking, Deimos responded.

‘I guess taking the middle would be nice.’ A laughter burst out from Lio’s mouth as he said.

‘Ohh wow, you’re that eager huh! Who would you want at the back and who would you want at the front?’ Deimos had to muster immense amounts of effort to remain calm and answer Lio’s questions as naturally as possible, ensuring not to bruise his own pride in the process.

‘I guess you could take the back, and Eros could take the front?’ Lio then flashed Deimos a sympathetic smile as he replied.

‘That’s cute...’

‘What’s so cute about that?’ Lio then pinched Deimos’ cheek and replied.

‘You. You are very cute! Talking about this as if you’ve already thought about it thoroughly.’ Deimos’ blush became redder as Lio said that. While Lio was not entirely right, he wasn’t entirely wrong either. Lio then chuckled before saying, ‘Who knows, we could try it someday. Maybe I can have a chat with Er-...’ Deimos then cupped Lio’s mouth and broke his cool by saying.

‘No! You won-...’ Lio then removed Deimos’ hand and said.

‘Relax! Even if I do it, it will be with you around.’

‘What?! How is that going to make things any better?’

‘Who said I’m doing that to make things better?’ Deimos stared at Lio with a frustrated look, which caused Lio to smile naughtily at Deimos.

‘I hate you so much...’ Deimos then turned away from Lio, facing his back toward him and sneaking in a smile while not in Lio’s line of sight. Deimos remained in this sulking pretence to savour the discomfort he was causing Lio but decided to spare him shortly after by grabbing Lio’s left arm and wrapping it around his body. Lio got the message and quickly wrapped the other arm under Deimos’ neck, pulling their bodies closer to each other. Lio pressed his chest against Deimos’ back, with his left hand wrapped nicely round Deimos’ torso. As Deimos was about to shut his eyes, he felt Lio’s hand starting to caress his left arm. It started from his forearm, and was making its way up toward his shoulders. His veiny arm added texture to the muscular limb as Lio traced it all the way up to his bulging biceps, where he stopped for awhile and gave it a gentle squeeze. Deimos decided to play along as he flexed his arm, causing Lio’s squeeze to tighten a little. Suddenly, Deimos felt a nudge near his tailbone. He ignored the first nudge, but it came back, this time a little slower, but more prominent. It was a gentle stroking motion, starting from the bottom of his tailbone moving upward slightly then going back down again. It wasn’t long before Deimos realised what it was, and was further confirmed when Lio swung his left leg over to wrap around Deimos’ thighs. Deimos was initially fine with it, but as Lio began getting rougher, Deimos let out a frustrated grunt and turned his head slightly saying.

‘Lio!’

‘Sorry...’ Deimos didn’t mind the roughness, but it was beginning to wake Phobos up. Deimos was genuinely surprised that Lio was still horny after their sex, but then again, he never tire of sex either. So Deimos carefully laid Phobos on the ground where his small makeshift bed was, and at the same time he stole a glance over at Eros and saw that he was already sound asleep. Relieved, he turned around and faced Lio and said bluntly.

‘You need some help?’ Lio’s eyes widened as he was clearly not expecting that offer from Deimos. After a brief moment of silence, Deimos inched toward Lio for a kiss. He bit Lio’s lips gently, and pushed his tongue into Lio’s mouth. While he did this, he wasted no time and reached into Lio’s coil, violently pushing it down to unravel Lio’s erected member, already moist with pre-cum. Deimos started stroking it with his right hand, lacing it with the lubricant. Lio began panting and moaning softly as Deimos began stroking his shaft, causing him to help himself to Deimos’ body that conveniently lay in front of him. Lio quickly located Deimos’ nipple, and began tickling them with his index finger. With his nipples erecting quickly to the foreign sensation, Deimos started feeling a bulge forming in his coil as well. This was more for Lio than it was for him, so he ignored his member, and pushed his body closer to Lio, allowing him access to any part of his body that would fulfil his sexual fantasies. Lio accepted it graciously as his left hand now circled round to Deimos’ back and moved around his well defined shoulders, feeling every inch of muscle that was tensing up in the heat of the moment. Deimos began stroking Lio’s penis faster and more violently, causing Lio to moan louder. Still being conscious of the fact that they were not alone, Deimos tightened his kiss with Lio, attempting to muffle the moans as much as he could. With Deimos closing the gap between them, the tip of Lio’s elongated shaft was now brushing against Deimos’ stiffened abs. This firm yet smooth sensation on his penis sent a very strong pulse of pleasure up his spine, as he retaliated with a strong thrust from his pelvis. Deimos’ toned abs were a perfect surface to rub his now throbbing penis against, as it provided a very comfortable sensation with its smooth yet contoured texture. And to top it all off, the thought of rubbing his shaft on his handsome lover’s toned, tan body was bringing Lio over the edge, and inching him to his climax fairly quickly.

As Lio was getting close to ejaculating, his left hand quickly reached down and slid into Deimos’ coil and pulled it down. It was a bit of a challenge to do this, since both of them were lying on their side, but Lio was quite rough and managed to free Deimos’ penis, which was now fully erected as well. Deimos’ member was touching the underside of Lio’s as he continued rubbing it against Deimos’ packs. He used his left hand to pleasure his partner, as best he could, stroking it violently and erratically, showing how high in ecstasy he was and beginning to lose control over his body. Lio was starting to pant faster, his heart rate and breathing was increasing as well. With Lio now stroking Deimos’ rod, his heart rate too was starting to increase. Deimos wasn’t really keen on cumming, but seeing the amount of pleasure Lio was gaining out of it, he decided to just allow it. In fact, he did more than that, as Deimos too began thrusting his pelvis while his penis rested on the palm of Lio’s hand, rubbing the underside of his sensitive head against Lio’s partly rough hands. The moment Deimos’ head felt the increase in friction, it began secreting its own pre-cum, soon drenching Lio’s hand thoroughly. After a few more strokes, Lio smeared Deimos’ pre-cum all over his body, starting from his abs and ending at his right chest, where he stopped to continue teasing his nipple. Deimos kept his attention on Lio’s lips, as their kiss continued amidst all of this action, his right hand ensuring Lio’s penis was never left unattended for too long. Lio then broke away from the kiss momentarily and whispered to Deimos while panting heavily.

‘Cum with me’, Deimos couldn’t resist Lio when he begged him like that, so he left Lio’s member alone, and began stroking his penis violently, trying to rush himself to his orgasm quickly. Deimos tilted his head back as he did this, exposing his neck to Lio and moaning uncontrollably. Lio rushed in and began licking and nibbling his neck, while still teasing Deimos’ right chest with his left hand. After a few seconds, Deimos inched closer to Lio, and pushed his penis against Lio’s, head-to-head, and used his right hand to wrap around both of them. The two of them began thrusting in unison, rubbing their members against each other. As they began pushing closer to each other, they found their penis starting to rub against their own abs, which added to the friction that they felt, translating quickly to the pleasure that coursed through their bodies. Lio swung his left arm around Deimos’ neck, pulling him in, and rested his forehead against Deimos’. Both of them were now panting and moaning, trying desperately to control their volume but ensuring not to lose any of this sexual heat in the process. The warm breaths and erotic sounds from each other was adding to their sex drive, bringing them closer and closer to their release. With a sudden tight squeeze of Lio’s hand on Deimos’ neck, a warm sensation followed on Deimos’ abs and hand, as he felt a stream of thick fluid now spewing on his bare skin. The thought of Lio’s seed on his tanned body was enough for Deimos to orgasm as well, as he too starting squirting his semen all over Lio’s body. Deimos then slowed down his stroking with his right hand, and focused more on the downward motion, pushing down both their foreskin, which forced the penis to involuntarily squirt every last ounce of semen out.

Deimos was thoroughly exhausted now, his day was non-stop action and his body was begging for rest. Every muscle in his body was pushed to the extreme today, but the adrenaline did help during the sex, and of course during, whatever it is you call this. He was panting and had his eyes closed, about to fall asleep, when he felt a hand still tracing along his body. He opened his eyes slightly to see Lio still playing with his own seed that was now all over Deimos’ body. Lio was smearing it all over Deimos’ abs and chest as if it were some sort of moisturising cream, which ultimately led to Deimos opening his mouth and saying.

‘You really enjoy making a mess don’t you?’ Lio then looked up and smiled, before scooping Deimos’ seed that was all over his body, and began wiping it on Deimos’ body as well. Deimos frowned at Lio as he did this, but Lio offered no response as he continued engrossing in his own fetishes. Lio then interrupted himself as he leaned in for a kiss, with his right hand still smearing Deimos’ body with cum. After the short kiss, Lio tucked his head under Deimos’ chin, snuggling his face into Deimos’ neck, as they welcomed their long awaited and much needed rest.


	31. Tipping the Scales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Lio fell asleep almost instantaneously while in the warm comfort of Deimos. The last thing he remembered feeling before falling asleep was the stickiness in his left hand together with the smoothness of Deimos skin; felt by both his hand and his left cheek. As morning came, Lio woke up feeling well-rested and rejuvenated. He instinctively stretched his arms and his legs but was met with resistance as they collided with a soft yet firm obstacle. The presence of this tender cage caused Lio to open his eyes and plant before him an image of Deimos’ handsome face, still sound asleep. The sudden influx of movement was enough to wake Deimos up, with his arms still wrapped around Lio, Deimos started tightening the hug and pulling Lio in. Lio felt Deimos’ strong arms against his body, providing a rather pleasant energy boost that hastened his waking up process. With Lio now uncomfortably close to Deimos’ face, Lio began blowing into Deimos’ face. Deimos let out a frustrated grunt which was accompanied with a frown on his face. Lio flashed a gentle smile to himself before leaning closer and brushing his nose against Deimos’. The initial brush caused Deimos’ frown to momentarily disappear, but as Lio brushed harder, Deimos’ frown reappeared as he opened his right eye slightly and mumbled.

‘Mm…rrgg….h….’

‘What’s that?’ Lio mocked.

‘MM…RRGG…H…!’ Deimos grumbled louder, now shutting his eyes again while still wearing his frown and readjusting his head as he attempted to fall back asleep.

‘Hey, wh-…’ As soon as Deimos heard Lio speaking, he tightened his hug further until Lio’s face was snuggled nicely against his neck. Lio continued trying to speak, causing a messy string of incomprehensible muffled sounds. The moment Lio realised Deimos wasn’t listening to him, he stuck out his tongue to lick Deimos’ skin, causing him to immediately loosen the embrace and open both his eyes in annoyance.

‘Lio…!’ Lio, still wearing his playful smile, replied.

‘Deimos…!’ Lio now leaning in closer to give Deimos a kiss. Lio chose not to be too adventurous as he gently bit Deimos’ lower lip before licking it in one swift motion. Deimos returned the kiss, albeit a weak one, as he was still waking up. Lio placed his hand on Deimos’ abdomen, and started moving his hand along Deimos’ smooth tan body. He never grew tired of Deimos’ body, and took advantage of any opportunity to feel the contours of his muscular frame. His skin was not as smooth as usual, due to his playful mess that he had caused the night before. Lio’s hand instinctively slid downward and rested on Deimos’ crotch, grabbing it firmly.

‘Looks like somebody’s hard…’ Deimos looked at Lio unamused and grunted.

‘Mmm...’

‘Is that an invitation to…’ Deimos’ eyes widened a little and replied quickly.

‘No, please no, I need a break…’ Lio smirked as he replied.

‘Weak’. Deimos frowned at him and replied.

‘Not weak, just out of ammo. Give me some time to recharge.’ At this, Deimos’ right hand that was wrapped around Lio, slid along his side and landed on his groin, giving it a similar grope. ‘Is yours loaded?’

‘It’s always loaded for you, my dear.’ Deimos’ face blushed a little as he heard that, unintentionally twitching his member and brushing it against Lio’s palm. Deimos then said.

‘Lio, are you ok?’ Lio’s playful face turned to that of surprise as he responded.

‘Yeah? Why are you suddenly askin-?’

‘You are unnaturally horny. Should we get Dr Ena to take a look?’

‘Tsk!’ Lio said while tightening his grab on Deimos’ crotch, causing a surge of discomfort.

‘AH!’ Deimos let out an initial moan of pain but subsequently wore a face of amusement. Lio then said.

‘Is this what I get for pleasing my boyfriend?’ Deimos relaxed his smirk and turned it into a sympathetic smile before he offered.

‘So do you need some morning action or...?’ Lio laughed before placing his left hand on Deimos’ right cheek.

‘The question is, do you want some milk?’ Deimos frowned and pushed Lio away from him.

‘You’re disgusting…’ Lio turned over to his back with both his hands now rested below his head as he lay there laughing. Deimos flashed him a smile before turning to his right side and pushing himself up to sit by the bedside. Lio turned to look at Deimos’ back, beautifully defined and mesmerising, his tan skin bringing out his toned frame even from behind. As Deimos stood up, Lio immediately pushed himself up too and asked.

‘Where are you going?’ Deimos turned his head without turning his body to face Lio as he said.

‘Cleaning up the mess you made...’ As he gestured at the front of his body where Lio was smearing their semen all over the night before. Lio sneaked in a smile and pushed himself to the bedside and wrapped his arms around Deimos’ thighs, pulling Deimos closer to him. Lio pressed his face against Deimos’ abs and began whiffing. He could still smell the slight tinge of their salty semen lingering on his skin, Lio then stuck out his tongue to gently lick Deimos’ lower packs and obliques. Deimos looked down at Lio enjoying himself, and couldn’t bear to stop him, so he decided to allow him this pleasure for a while longer. Lio was gentle and thorough with every inch of skin that he could rest his lips and tongue on, taking his time as he progressed systematically around Deimos’ core. As he ascended, Lio eventually found himself unable to reach Deimos’ chest, so he lifted his buttocks off from the bed and continued upward. He went up through Deimos’ cleavage and straight up to his neck. He followed the side of Deimos’ neck and reached his left ear before whispering.

‘Mind if I join you?’ Deimos turned to Lio smiling before he grabbed his right forearm and dragged him out of the tent in a hurry. The two of them hurried to where they had sex the previous day but continued further uphill and deeper into the vegetation. There lay a small water body, about knee deep, where the two of them undressed and jumped in. Lio then said to Deimos.

‘I never thought anyone could turn me on this much.’ Lio was staring at Deimos’ naked body and was tempted to take him yet again as his member began erecting again. Deimos took notice of Lio’s penis and was a little concerned as he said.

‘Lio, behave yourself.’ Lio’s eyes stopped scanning Deimos’ body momentarily and looked up at his eyes replying.

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Deimos then used his right hand to splash some water at Lio’s face. Lio then charged toward Deimos and tackled him, wrapping his arms around his abdomen, pinning him down. The playful tackle caused a big backward splash as Deimos landed on his back. Deimos then lift his right knee before kicking Lio in the abs, causing him to fall backwards. Deimos then took this opportunity to pounce on Lio, which Lio skilfully dodged by rolling to the side. With Deimos now flat on the floor and vulnerable, it was Lio’s turn to pounce. He did so by coiling his right arm around Deimos’ neck and his legs pressing on top of Deimos’ thighs, immobilising him. Lio’s huge biceps were choking Deimos slightly, causing Deimos to use both his hands to grip Lio’s right forearm, trying to relief some of the pressure. Lio found himself conveniently beside Deimos’ left ear so he whispered into it.

‘You wrestle quite well, for a girl…’ Those humiliating words caused Deimos to continue struggling, but he still found himself unable to overpower Lio. He could feel Lio’s erected penis pressed against his left thigh, and all this foreplay was causing his own member to involuntarily turn stiff as well. As soon as Lio noticed the rod sticking out, with Deimos’ thighs split apart, making Lio very eager to entertain it.

‘No…’ Deimos said before Lio could even put his thoughts into action. So Lio reluctantly loosened his grip on Deimos. Even though no longer restrained by Lio, Deimos still sat in place in front of Lio, holding onto his hands that were now wrapped round his sides. The two sat in silence for awhile before Lio began scooping water and cleaning Deimos’ back. Deimos took this opportunity to clean the front of his body with his right hand while his left still held onto Lio’s left hand. Lio then spoke up out of the blue.

‘Hey, I don’t ever want to annoy yo-…’ Deimos squeezed his hand unnaturally hard, causing Lio to stop in his tracks before Deimos started speaking.

‘I’m not annoyed with you Lio. In fact it’s very flattering to know how I make you feel, but as I said to you before, all of this is still quite new to me and I don’t wanna go too fast. I mean I could always pleasure yo-…’ Lio then covered Deimos’ mouth with his left hand as he said.

‘You are not my sex toy or some gigolo that’s here to just pleasure me Deimos. You’re my partner, and I want you to be happy. So we go at your pace alright? I’m just concerned that I may come across as too…’ Deimos then interrupted again.

‘Don’t worry about that, I’ll be sure to let you know.’ Deimos now turned around to face Lio, looking him in the eyes as he continued. ‘All you have to do is LISTEN!’ Deimos then splashed more water into Lio’s face as he said that, causing him to squint his eyes while wearing a smile.

‘Haha, of course dear.’ After wiping away the water from his eyes, Lio pulled Deimos in to sit on his lap as they closed in for a kiss. As the kiss ended and Deimos found his arms wrapped round Lio’s neck, he mustered the courage to ask.

‘You know...’ Deimos paused momentarily while looking straight into Lio’s grey eyes before continuing. ‘You never really told me anything about your previous partner. I don’t even know his name...’ Lio’s warm smile dwindled ever so slightly but he tried his best to maintain it after hearing Deimos’ question. He placed his right hand on Deimos’ left cheek as he let out a heavy sigh, with a weak smile still plastered on his face as he said.

‘His name was Kly. He was one-of-a-kind.’ Lio pupils began dilating and Deimos held on to his hand firmly the moment he noticed it. This calmed Lio down significantly as he widened his smile a little before continuing. ‘The moment we arrived in the New World, I was so eager to get out and begin my journey. So much so that very little distracted me or skewed me from that goal. But Kly was an exception. He had something about him that just commanded my attention, and it wasn’t just me that felt it.’ Deimos flashed a slight look of confusion has he heard that. Lio chuckled before clarifying, ‘He was popular among the ladies you see. Good looking, fit, and fairly charismatic, I might add. He was a people person, extremely likeable, and so naturally I tried to spend more time with him. No agenda, at the time, just genuinely interested in knowing him as a friend, and as a person. Eventually we teamed up as a squad, brought together our closest buddies and hunted together. I was happy, until one day...’

‘That mission...’ Deimos said, completing Lio’s sentence.

‘What? No no... I meant one day, he shared his orientation to me. It started out very casually actually, he had already come to terms with his sexual preference but we were making small take and it led to that. He just wanted to share something personal with me and that was it. Things got interesting only after I told him how attractive he was to me, and that was how it started.’ Deimos wore a frown as he heard this and replied.

‘That’s it? You guys make it look so simple.’ Lio sniggered as he said.

‘It isn’t simple, we were just lucky. I don’t like the idea of labelling myself, much less others, so I just dealt with what I felt at the time. I like this man, and I wanted to spend more time with him, regardless of wherever that brought us. And I am glad to say that I enjoyed every second of my time spent with him.’ Lio took a deep breath before continuing, showing clearly the pain he had to endure to recount this anecdote. ‘I am who I am today because of him, I was never a selfless lover and I never understood the meaning of unconditional affection. Even communicating effectively was something I learnt from Kly...’ Deimos then interrupted.

‘Wait, you mean Kly taught you all of this in a year?’ Lio smiled as he gave Deimos a little pinch on his left cheek that he still had his right hand on.

‘No you silly. He didn’t teach these things to me, he sort of role modelled them. He showed them to me, and only ever explicitly explained his rationale to me whenever I asked him, which initially was almost never at all. But after awhile I began to realise that I wanted to treat others the way he treated me. To love him the way he loved me. To see things, the way he sees them. So after awhile...’ Now Deimos had his left hand over Lio’s right hand that was still on his cheek.

‘And now, I see him clearly in you...’ These words wiped the smile off Lio’s face and invited tears to his eyes. Lio was dumbfounded when he heard those words and instinctively asked.

‘What did you just say...?’ Deimos now transitioned his left hand over to Lio’s cheek as he continued.

‘Everything you mentioned, everything you learned from Kly, I see them very clearly in you now. And I find it amazing how much of an impact he has on you. Now I only wished that I could meet him in person, an-...’ Lio now placed two fingers on Deimos’ lips to quickly stop him.

‘Don’t. Kly was a wonderful person, but so are you. There’s no point in comparing the two of you, and don’t fret over being good enough for me. You are exactly what I need, that’s why I chose to spend so much time with you. I love you Deimos, and that isn’t dependent on what you could become, but who you are now. It’s enough. You, are enough.’ Deimos smiled as he heard this, but was deep in thought, unintentionally looking away from Lio and sighing as he turned his gaze. Lio then broke him out of the trance as he leaned back to get a better view of Deimos and commented.

‘Actually, you do look a little like Kly.’ This served its purpose as Deimos now turned back to look at Lio, unsure of what to feel about that comment. ‘Both of you are tall, muscular, he’s not nearly as tan as you, but his skin isn’t as smooth either...’ Lio said this as he ran his hand along Deimos’ arm. Lio then sighed before finishing his sentence, ‘I am so lucky, to have met such beautiful people in my life...’ Deimos couldn’t contain his smile when he heard that as he leaned forward to kiss Lio, the two enjoying the warmth and company of each other’s moist lips.

‘What should I do? He’s your brother! Help me out here...’ Eros was talking to Phobos who was sitting comfortably on his lap.

‘Mree...?’ Phobos tilted his head in confusion as he looked up at Eros.

‘Ok, so here’s the thing. I love your brother, but I don’t want to affect his current relationship. I wish I could just turn off my attraction towards him but I can’t. Lio says he’s ok if Deimos and I...’ Eros now turned to Phobos to see a rather innocent and confused face staring back at him, so he decided to keep things clean as he continued. ‘You know, do things... So what should I do?’ Phobos was frowning really hard as he heard Eros’ predicament, then he stood up on Eros’ thigh and placed both his paws on his waist before saying.

‘Keerrow...’ Eros turned to Phobos and flashed him a confused look as Phobos continued. ‘Reeow mee geerrow heerrooww...!’ Eros’ confused look turned to that of frustration quickly as Phobos’ cat sounds flew over him as he hung his head in defeat.

‘Haiz... What am I going to do...’

‘About what?’ A masculine voice emerged from the entrance of the tent as Eros lifted his gaze to see Lio standing there looking at him. ‘Worrying about something so early in the morning?’ Lio said as he walked towards Eros’ bed and welcomed Phobos who ran toward him and climbed on top of his shoulder. Lio sat down on Eros’ right and turned to face him, wearing a smile to encourage him to share his worries with him.

‘I... uhh... Where’s Deimos?’ Lio perked his eyebrows as he replied.

‘Ohh he’s outside preparing some logistics, I could call him in if yo-...’ Eros grabbed Lio’s left arm tightly to stop him as he said quickly.

‘NO! No no, leave him be.’

‘Ooookay...’ Lio sat back down, still facing Eros before he prompted again. ‘You alright?’ Eros felt a slight tightness in his chest, a rather similar sensation; one that he felt when he first confessed to Deimos about his feelings for him. Eros then decided to let it out and come clean with Lio.

‘No, I’m not alright. I feel horrible.’ Lio’s look of confusion turned to that of concern as he asked.

‘What happened? Are you hurt? Unwell or...’

‘No, I feel horrible here...’ Eros replied in frustration as he pounded his chest with his right hand, quite forcefully, I might add. Lio was reluctant with going there with Eros, he was extremely careful when it came to things like these, knowing full well how sensitive it could be. But from the look of things, it seemed that Eros was not giving him much of an option. So Lio tried escaping this messy situation.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea that we...’ Eros then interrupted Lio as he lashed out.

‘I can’t help that I love Deimos this much alright?! Every time I see him, I...’ Eros stopped momentarily, realising the brief loss of control that just occurred. He took some time to recompose himself before continuing. ‘I’m sorry, I’m just frustrated with myself. I love seeing the both of you happy, I really do. But sometimes I just...’ Lio’s chest was beginning to tighten now, seeing Eros like this was something he had hoped he could spare himself of. But it seemed the universe had other plans as Lio now found himself intertwined in this messy situation.

‘I was actually telling Deimos that the three of us should... talk.’ Eros then asked gently.

‘About?’

‘Us’

‘Us? You mean the two of us?’ Eros said as he gestured pointing at Lio and then at himself.

‘No, no, us as in...’ Eros then interrupted saying.

‘Ohh, you mean you and Deimos.’ Lio now wore a frown as he placed both his hands on Eros’ shoulder and raised his voice slightly as he said.

‘No no no, us as in the three of us. We need to sit down and talk about this!’

‘Talk about what?’ Deimos had just entered the tent, looking at Lio and Eros sitting beside each other by the bedside as he voiced out his question. Lio quickly turned around and looked at Deimos before gesturing him to come over. Deimos took a seat on a stool in the middle of the tent, facing the two of them. Lio then looked at the two of them before saying.

‘So umm... Deimos...’ Deimos was giving Lio an apprehensive stare as he started out shakily.

‘Yes Lio...?’

‘Should we talk about umm...’

‘What?’ Lio heaved a sigh, and hesitantly blurted out.

‘The two of you’, Deimos and Eros’ eyes enlarged as they heard those words and Deimos immediately stood up about to leave. Lio stood up quickly and blocked his escape as he said to Deimos softly. ‘Please dear, I know this is not ideal but Eros, he’s...’ Lio turned to look at Eros still seated by the bedside confused at what was going on. Lio then turned back to look at Deimos who was looking away as he continued. ‘He needs something, anything, he’s hurting...’ That word alone caused Deimos to loosen up a little, especially when it came to Eros. He turned back around and looked at Eros. His eyes instantly caused Deimos to relax his frown and his body. Deimos sighed and sat back down on the stool, still a little reluctant and hesitant about this conversation. Lio took his place beside Eros and urged him to start by telling Deimos what he told him. Eros nervously turned to Deimos and said.

‘Deimos, I...’ Deimos looked up at Eros and interrupted.

‘Eros, I really wish there was a way, but...’ Lio then glared at Deimos, encouraging him to be honest with Eros. The stare went straight through to Deimos and he got the message as he blurted out sloppily. ‘Look, is sex what you want?’ Eros’ eyes enlarged as he heard that so blatantly thrown out at him.

‘I... It’s something I would love, yes, but that’s not why I’m saying this to you! I mean I love you for you, as a person, and I just wish that I could spend more time with you, that’s all. Sex or no sex, that is a nice bonus but it’s not why I confessed to you!’ Deimos felt embarrassed the moment he heard Eros’ reply, ashamed of himself for reducing Eros’ affection toward him as simply a physical, lustful desire. Deimos quickly apologised.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, it’s just that I’m really confused as to what to do here. I’m in a relationship with Lio, and I love the both of you. Seeing you like this pains me, and yet I feel so helpless...’ Lio too was beginning to feel helpless. Allowing Deimos the freedom to do whatever he wished was not giving him the peace of mind Lio had hoped it would. This series of events was starting to teach everyone in the room a valuable lesson that they will not soon forget. As soon as Lio realised the futility of the conversation, he concluded it quickly saying.

‘Eros, you will never get in the way of the two of us, let’s make that clear. I enjoy seeing the two of you spend time with each other, so you shouldn’t feel guilty for that.’ Lio now turned to Deimos and said. ‘Deimos, babe, you already know what I have to say, so...’ Deimos nodded as Lio looked toward him. Suddenly, the three of them heard a distant yet distinct voice coming from outside the tent. The three men turned heads to face the opening with similar reactions of fear on their faces. As the familiar voice grew louder, all of them stood up and rushed toward the exit of the tent. They were stopped in their tracks when a female figure stood by the entrance, blocking their way, the three of them standing shoulder to shoulder with Lio in the middle, Deimos on his right and Eros on his left.

‘Now this is a treat! Three men rushing over, eager to meet me first thing in the morning!’ Rhen stood there arrogantly, refusing to budge. She looked up and saw that Lio was standing directly in front of her. Deimos then spoke up in annoyance.

‘Move, Rhen.’ Rhen then turned to Deimos and said.

‘Good morning to you too, wonder boy!’ Deimos then forcefully pushed his weight forward. Rhen used her hand to press against his chest, resisting his advancement. Her significantly smaller arms were a cunning disguise to the immense strength that this lady had at her disposal. Deimos did have difficulty moving forward, but had little trouble in overpowering her once he found his footing. This forceful manoeuvre caused Rhen to topple backwards as Deimos quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back in.

‘Clown...’ Deimos muttered under his breath as he pulled Rhen to the left, allowing the other two guys to exit. Rhen spun one round and fell onto Deimos with his hand still holding onto her. She wrapped her arms around Deimos’ waist and exclaimed.

‘OH MY GOD! YOU SAVED MY LIFE!’ Deimos rolled his eyes and tried to push her away but she wrapped herself rather tightly round Deimos’ abdomen.

‘Let go.’ Rhen ignored him as he started feeling her rub her face all over his now cleaned body. At this moment, Rhodes ran out of her tent and mumbled to herself.

‘Where is that son of a-... RHEN!’ Deimos turned to look at Rhodes and began pointing at Rhen still hugging him. Rhodes stomped over and as soon as Rhen heard her voice, she ended the hug and hid behind Deimos whispering into his ear.

‘Please dude, I’ll do anything, just save me from this crazy hag!’ As Rhodes closed the distance between them, Deimos noticed two exciteshrooms in her hands. Deimos turned to Rhen and asked.

‘What in the hell did you do this time?’ Rhen then defended herself saying.

‘Her tits are tiny! I was just helping out!’ Deimos rolled his eyes and turned to see Rhodes who had one hand in the air, about to throw the green mushroom at Rhen. Deimos raised his hands quickly and grabbed Rhodes’ arm saying.

‘Woah! Calm down Rhodes. What happened?’ Rhodes lowered her voice temporarily and turned to face Deimos as she said to him.

‘This sack of shit put mushrooms in my bra!’

‘It will make your boobs look better, trust me!’

‘YOU!’ Rhodes raised the mushroom again, attempting to hit Rhen with it. Deimos turned his body to ensure his front followed where Rhodes went, unintentionally shielding Rhen who was still behind him. After awhile Rhodes turned her attention to Deimos and shouted at him.

‘Why are you protecting that host of camel fleas?!’ Deimos then raised his hands in the air saying.

‘I’m not protecting anyone, I just don’t want you to throw mushrooms around. I’m just afraid you may...’ Rhodes perked her eyebrows and asked impatiently.

‘May what?’ Deimos gulped before saying.

‘Hit me...’

‘URGH!!!’ Rhodes now turned her aggression to Deimos as he broke formation and ran, with Rhen following closely behind him. Eros was safe from this drama and was watching the commotion from afar. Seeing that Rhodes was chasing Deimos as well, he asked Lio.

‘Uhh... Should we help?’ Lio laughed and replied.

‘Neh... I wanna continue watching...’ Eros turned to Lio as he said that, initially shocked, but after seeing Lio smiling, he too couldn’t resist flashing a playful smile as the duo remained far from danger. Putting an end to their pleasure prematurely was Rion who exited his tent and spoke to Lio.

‘Are we ready to move?’ Lio was a little taken aback by the sudden voice of his father. He turned around quickly and replied messily.

‘Dad! Uhh... Morning. We are sort of ready, wait, no we’re not. How are you feeling?’ Rion flashed Lio a judgemental look, seeing that his son was behaving a little out of character.

‘I’m feeling ok. How soon before we can start moving out?’ Dr Ena emerged from the tent shortly after and interjected.

‘Sir, I really don’t think that’s a good ide-...’ Rion turned to glare at Dr Ena, causing him to leave his sentence unfinished. Rion then turned back to his son and said.

‘Get your team ready, we move in ten.’ Lio nodded obediently and turned to Eros signalling him to relay the message to the rest. Eros obliged and went off, leaving Lio and Dr Ena, with Rion walking off to get ready.

‘How is he?’ Lio asked Dr Ena who still plastered a worrisome look.

‘No good, my boy. And it doesn’t help that your father is incredibly stubborn!’ Lio sighed as he turned his gaze toward his father. Dr Ena then continued, ‘Your father’s tolerance for pain surpasses that of most individuals. And while that may seem good initially, it paints a very warped image as to how much his body can tolerate before snapping. So while his body sends clear signals that it is not ok, his mind tells him otherwise. It’s like the body is trying to kill itself. As a professional in the medical field, this is maddening to watch!’ Lio could empathise, he knew his father well, and he always tried to avoid telling him what to do, knowing full well he wouldn’t listen. But be that as it may, Lio wouldn’t trust anyone else to look after his father. Dr Ena was not just the top scholar in the commission, he was a dear family friend as well. Lio placed his right hand on Dr Ena’s shoulder saying.

‘Do what you can for him, doctor.’ Dr Ena placed his right hand over Lio’s and nodded calmly as he left his side to join Rion.

‘Guys, the commander sai-...’

‘NOT NOW, EROS!’ Rhodes shouted at her partner before continuing her vendetta on the two morons. Eros stood in shock after hearing Rhodes shout at him. After awhile, Rhodes turned to Eros and shouted again, saying, ‘Get your ass over here and help me!’ Eros obediently went over and before he could say anything, Rhodes shoved an exciteshroom in his hand and said to him.

‘Throw it, and make sure you hit at least one of them!’ Eros asked innocently.

‘But... Why?’

‘JUST DO IT!’ Rhodes screamed as she turned around and threw the remaining green mushroom in her hand at Rhen. It missed as Rhen ducked skilfully, before she charged straight at Rhodes, tackling her to the ground. Eros looked at the mushroom in his hand, before looking up at Deimos who was winking at him and taunting him to have a go and throw the mushroom at him. Eros lightened up when he saw that, and tried his best to aim his throw. Deimos quickly jerked his head to the side, barely dodging the fungi, as he lunged forward and tackled Eros as well, at the waist. With Rhodes and Eros pinned to the ground, Rhen looked over to Deimos and said.

‘Not too shabby, wonder boy!’ Deimos sneaked in a smirk before turning his attention back to Eros who was lying under him. Eros looked up at him and was visibly scanning Deimos’ torso. Deimos allowed him the pleasure, and sat still for him. Seeing how much Eros was enjoying the view, Deimos was torn as to how far he was willing to go. As the thought swam in his mind, he saw Eros transition his hands from the ground by his side to rest on his own chest. Deimos then instinctively reached out for his hand and grabbed it, pulling it towards his own body. The moment Eros realised what Deimos was doing, he resisted and pulled his own hand away, freeing it from Deimos’ grip.

‘Don’t...’ Eros said. ‘Don’t make this harder...’ Deimos didn’t know what to feel when he heard that, but he allowed Eros the liberty to do whatever it is he was comfortable with, so he didn’t push any further.

‘Bitch! Get off!’ Rhodes shouted at Rhen.

‘No. I won’t get off until you promise me you’ll wear those mushrooms for at least a day!’

‘Are you mad?! I’m not putting mushrooms in my bra! Now get the fuck off!’ Before Rhen could continue, Lio arrived to address them.

‘Guys, we leave in ten. Let’s start packing up and get ready to move.’ Deimos stood up quickly and helped Eros up as he said to Lio.

‘How’s your dad?’ Lio shook his head while maintaining his gaze on his father.

‘Apparently, not so good. I’ll try and talk to him to make sure he’s ok.’

‘I’ll come with you.’ Lio then turned and placed his left hand on Deimos’ right shoulder, firmly stopping him. Lio sneaked in a smile as he looked over at Eros from the corner of his eye.

‘Spend some time with Eros. I’ll be fine.’ Deimos looked at Lio blankly, to which Lio responded with a playful wink as he ran back toward Rion. Deimos turned around, and saw Rhodes and Rhen still getting up from the ground, with Eros asking him.

‘Everything alright?’ Deimos turned to him and nodded before saying.

‘Yeah, everything’s fine. Let’s pack up.’


	32. Volatile Confrontation

‘Dad, you got a minute?’ Rion turned around to see his son behind him, wearing a worried look.

‘What is it Lio?’ Rion asked as he turned his attention back to packing up his things.

‘I wanna talk to you about something.’

‘I’m listening.’

‘Do you mind looking at me?’ With this, Rion turned to face Lio.

‘Alright, I’m looking at you. Something wrong?’ Lio took a deep breath before saying.

‘Dad, can you please slow things down a bit?’ Rion raised his eyebrows and responded.

‘Ohh if the team is still tired, we could advance at a slower pace, but I want us to reach the Everstream in time to...’ Lio then interrupted.

‘No, I’m referring to you. Can you slow things down a bit. For yourself.’ At those words, Rion turned his attention away from the conversation and continued packing his things, refusing to converse with Lio. ‘Are you refusing to talk to me now?’ Rion chuckled to himself without looking at Lio as he replied.

‘There’s nothing to talk about...’ Lio went to Rion’s side and looked at him menacingly as he replied.

‘What the fuck do you mean there’s nothing to talk about?!’ Rion now glared strongly at Lio.

‘You watch your mouth, young man.’

‘Then talk to me, help me understand-...!’ Rion stare remained stern as he interrupted Lio.

‘The only thing you need to understand is respect! Look at you, ever since you and Kl-...’ Lio’s eyes widened as he shook his head saying.

‘Don’t you dare blame it on him...’ Rion then turned to steal a glance at Deimos in the distance. This made Lio fume even more as he gave Rion a warning stare.

‘Just because I choose not to interfere in your love life doesn’t mean I agree with your choices...’ Lio then flared up shouting at Rion.

‘So you have an issue with me seeing other guys? Is that it?’

‘No, I have issue with your judgement of their character.’

‘How did this suddenly become about me?’ Rion then smirked as he said.

‘Everything is about you. Everything I do is for you, but I find myself at my wits’ end here. I won’t be around forever Lio, and one day you are going to have to take over my role. So my best gift to you is to show you how a leader shoul-...’

‘How about being a father for once...’ Rion was shocked when he heard Lio’s statement. ‘I know your responsibilities are heavy and all but you’re the only family I have left. And even if you don’t care about your life, please know that I do. So can you please talk to me? As a father, not a commander.’ These words pierced Rion’s heart and cut deep as he stood silent momentarily, looking into Lio’s intense grey eyes that were glistening in the morning sun. Rion lifted his left hand slowly and reached out, gently placing it by Lio’s right cheek. It had been a very long time since Lio had felt the touch of his father’s hand, with his palm still rough from the busyness of his duties back in Astera and over the past few weeks. Rion’s gaze began to relax as he continued staring at Lio.

‘My son...’ At those words, Rion gave Lio a big hug. Lio had longed for some time with his father, but he didn’t expect it to come in the form of a hug. Their relationship was never physical, their father-son time was mostly spent through activities like hunting. But ever since Eia passed on, Rion was not the same person. He took it really hard and shut himself out from the world emotionally, even from his own son. As much as Lio was affected by the passing of his mother, he never blamed Rion or anyone for it. He grieved, just as everyone did, but he made a choice to move on. In fact, he had to make that decision twice, which was no easy feat. It was even harder considering the fact that Rion made a conscious effort to steer clear from the topic altogether, disinterested in revisiting such a bitter and painful memory. But his avoidance only served to prolong not only his suffering, but Lio’s as well. As Rion pulled away from the hug, he said, ‘If only your mother could see you now, she would be so proud of you.’ Lio smiled but asked sternly.

‘And are you? Proud of me?’ Rion flashed a compassionate smile and said.

‘Extremely...’ Lio let out a poorly contained chuckle as Rion gave him a firm pat on the back. The two adjourning to resume packing up, talking as they continued.

‘Hey Rhodes...’ Rhen whispered over to Rhodes.

‘Don’t talk to me...’

‘Do you think Deimos makes a cuter couple with Eros or Lio?’

‘I’m not talking to you until you apologise.’ Rhen turned to Rhodes irritated.

‘Com’on woman! It was just a joke! Loosen up!’ Rhodes refused to relent as she pouted and turned away from Rhen.

‘Ok fine! I’m sorry! I’ll let you put mushrooms in my bra next time ok?’ Rhodes turned to look at her now before saying.

‘In your bra? More like in your food!’ Rhen’s face turned pale as she cupped her mouth as if holding in her puke. As Rhodes folded the bedrolls, she turned back to Rhen and replied. ‘Why are you so nosy? Leave Deimos alone.’

‘Tsk! Of course I’ll leave him alone, I’m just having my daily dose of gossip with my girlfriend here ya!’ Rhodes threw a glare over to Rhen and replied.

‘How am I your girlfriend?’ Rhen rolled her eyes and said.

‘You’re my female frien-... Oh my god, you’re a twat.’ Rhodes laughed as she replied.

‘Now you know how it feels like talking to you.’ Rhen ignored Rhodes’ last statement as she returned to the original question she asked.

‘Deimos and Eros are like a father and son relationship don’t you think? Or maybe like an older and younger brother affair? Like the dominant one will always be Deimos and the submissive one will always be Eros.’ Rhodes was sort of ignoring her as she continued packing up. Rhen continued, ‘Deimos and Lio, they’re like on par, so they will take turns being the dominant and submissive. Give and take, know what I mean?’ Rhen was now elbowing Rhodes repeatedly as she twitched her eyebrows like a creep.

‘Stop doing that!’ Rhodes elbowed Rhen away from her in annoyance.

‘Are you even listening to me?’

‘Not really’, Rhen then flashed Rhodes an unamused face coupled with a slightly angry expression. Rhodes sighed and blurted out, ‘Yeah, I guess I kinda know what you’re talking about...’ Rhen then asked eagerly.

‘So? Which pair do you like better?’

‘Deimos and Lio? I don’t know, but I guess...’

‘Deimos and Eros are quite cute too, don’t you think?’ Rhodes nodded instinctively and blurted out unintentionally.

‘What about Lio and Eros?’ Rhen’s eyes widened as she heard that and replied excitedly.

‘Ohh yes! Then we can have Deimos to ourselves!’ Rhodes unconsciously smiled at that, since she did find Deimos the most attractive of the three, and she would be lying if she said that she didn’t think about it. Her thoughts were interrupted as Rhen blurted out.

‘Haiya, how about they just have a threesome!’

‘Tsk!’ Rhodes turned to slap Rhen’s arm as she heard that. ‘Stop talking nonsense!’ Rhen plastered a cheeky smile as she closed in to Rhodes and whispered.

‘Wouldn’t it be a treat if we could sit by the side and watch?’ Rhodes blushed at the thought. Oh yeah, she would love that. It didn’t get more masculine than the men that they were in the company of currently, and Rhodes had always admired them for their physique. Rhodes regained consciousness quickly and threw the question back at Rhen.

‘I know you would!’ Rhen exhaled loudly as she placed both her hands behind her head.

‘Ohh yeah... That would be nice... And how about if both of us joined in too! Everyone naked! Dr Ena and Rio-...’

‘You fucking crazy bitch!’ Rhodes said as she cupped Rhen’s mouth to contain the lunacy she was spreading. Thankfully no one was within earshot, and anyone tuning in would just see two ladies jumping around making muffled noises.

‘Is Lio ok?’ Eros asked.

‘I don’t really know. I’ll probably talk to him later.’ Deimos said as he looked over at the father and son, now busying themselves with the tentages. However, even though Deimos’ eyes were occupied by the sight of Lio, his heart and mind were someplace else. He decided that he had to speak to Eros about it sooner or later. ‘Listen, buddy...’ At those words, Eros and Phobos both turned to look at Deimos with glistening, eager eyes.

‘No, not you!’ Deimos said as he frowned at Phobos.

‘Hyeee!’ Phobos hissed at Deimos before returning to what he was doing. Eros was still looking at him.

‘What do you think about Lio?’ Eros replied.

‘What do I think? You mean like character? Looks?’ Deimos then said.

‘Like as a boyfriend. Would you date him?’ Eros started sweating when he heard that question. Deimos noticed and reassured him, ‘Don’t worry, just say what you feel, I’m fine with it.’

‘Well I guess he’ll make a great boyfriend. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind. He’s very easy to be around.’ Deimos smiled when he heard that. He totally agreed with what Eros said and was glad that he was in a position to enjoy such a privilege. What Deimos was struggling with was the original assumption that in order to have Lio, he had to leave Eros behind, which was something he had difficulty doing. As much as Lio reassured him that there was another way, Deimos was still trying to decide where he stood in the midst of all of this.

‘And would you like to spend more time with him?’ Eros perked his eyebrows when he heard that question. Before he could clarify, however, Deimos beat him to it saying, ‘Just answer the question as it is, I’ll try and explain myself afterwards.’ Eros then hesitantly replied.

‘That’ll be nice. I would love to get to know him better an-...’

‘Ok that’s good.’ Deimos cut Eros off quickly the moment he heard the reply to his question. Eros was left standing in front of Deimos and staring at him blankly. Deimos was still deep in thought, unaware of how confused Eros still was. He soon realised Eros’ state of confusion and quickly addressed it saying, ‘Shit, sorry. Uhh, I asked you that question because I was thinking about what Lio was saying about... Us... And while I am keen on spending more time with you, I don’t want to leave Lio out entirely. I want him to be involved, even if we were having...’ Deimos bit his tongue to stop himself from blurting out something that he had no intention of sharing with Eros just yet. Deimos now found himself in an awkward position, where Eros was waiting on him to finish his sentence. As Deimos struggled to find another word to fit his sentence, Eros conveniently hazarded a guess.

‘A heart-to-heart?’ Deimos’ eyes lit up and replied quickly.

‘Yeah. Yeah, heart-to-heart. I want him to be with us. If you’re ok with it...’ Eros thought about it briefly and smiled at Deimos saying.

‘I’m more than ok. I mean I appreciate any time I get to spend with you guys, so I’m already very happy!’ Deimos’ heart melted as he heard that, Eros was a simple soul and nobody could take his happiness away. Simply because he had such a positive outlook on everything that was happening in his life, no matter how tragic. Deimos really admired this part about him, and he showed it as he wore a smile and patted him firmly on his shoulder.

‘Can you help me bring this over there?’ Dr Ena signalled a pile of equipment that lay beside their packed up tentage.

‘Reeoow!’ Phobos stuck out his right paw flat in front of him as he purred.

‘Yeah! Everyone’s working hard to get ready! Let’s work together yeah?’ Phobos plastered a face of disgust as Dr Ena high-fived him in the paw with that statement. So he folded his arms and hissed at him.

‘Krreee!’ Dr Ena then took a few steps back in shock.

‘Ohh dear, did I say something wrong?’

‘REEOWW!’ Phobos then started kicking Dr Ena’s feet with his tiny paws. Using his frontal paws to occasional scratch the thick leather boots.

‘PHOBOS!’ The loud firm voice from behind forced the little feline to halt his misbehaviour. Deimos emerged from the back and said to Dr Ena, ‘So sorry about that, he isn’t in the habit of doing work without compensation. This is my fault for spoiling him. Let me help you.’ Dr Ena flashed Deimos a smile and replied.

‘No problem, young man. Thank you!’ As Dr Ena left them, Deimos squat down and whispered to Phobos.

‘Please behave yourself, you spoilt ball of useless fur!’

‘YEOW!’ Phobos purred as he slapped Deimos’ left cheek lightly with his paw before climbing onto his shoulder.

‘So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?’ Rion asked Lio as they dismantled the last tent. Lio looked up and said.

‘I want you to consider putting down your hammer, for good. I’m very worried for you whenever we engage in fights, and I really think you should consider Dr Ena’s advice. Leave the hunting to, well, the younger folk.’ Rion chuckled as he raised his eyebrow saying.

‘You calling your old man old?’ Lio smiled as he replied.

‘Ohh no, I wouldn’t dare. Besides, you said it yourself.’ Rion thought about Lio’s request and replied honestly saying.

‘I’ll think about it.’ Lio was glad to hear that his father would at least consider his request, it gave him peace of mind as a son. The squad quickly packed up the remainder of their equipment, and got ready to leave the Highlands.

The team headed toward the lower regions of the Coral Highlands; a place where Lio and Deimos were not unfamiliar with, having been there twice already. The team bashed through the colourful wonderland, scaling the vine-laced walls and rough coral terrain. Though colourful and seemingly benevolent, the Highlands was still a natural habitat that demanded the team to remain on guard at all times. As the team scoured through the zone, colours from not only the flora but fauna began radiating from their surroundings. Tiny orange and pink coralbirds fluttering around the flowers drinking nectar, with cyan coloured wrigglers emerging from the ground, swaying around like grass in the wind. Their thick feelers behaving like whiskers, with three on each side of their cheeks, equipped with many nerves to detect the slightest movement in the air. These timid creatures surface regularly for the warmth and energy from the sun, but are easy prey due to their immobile nature. With the pinkish vegetation around the Highlands, along with the pink-coloured pollen being dispersed regularly by the abundant flora in the region, it was no surprise that the team overlooked a Paolumu that was keeping a close watch on them. While Paolumus are not known to be aggressive, they are adept hunters equipped with powerful lungs with the ability to fire air at deadly speeds to stun and sometimes instantly kill their prey. These hunters also use stealth to hunt when they fill their inflatable neck pouches with air to suspend and float in the air. With their beaver-like tails, they are not easy targets to prey on either. It is a very unusual design of nature, especially in the aesthetic department of things, considering that the creature is mainly covered in fur. With the team more engrossed on the ground and traversing it, Paolumu was left happily undisturbed in the air.

‘Sir...’ Rion stopped as he turned to look at Dr Ena.

‘What is it, doctor?’

‘Beyond this point, my knowledge of the region will be limited.’ Rion placed his hand on the doctor’s shoulder as he said.

‘No worries doctor, we shall discover and learn together along the way. No need to fret.’ Dr Ena gave a reassuring smile as they continued on. As Deimos and Lio were walking side-by-side, Lio held onto Deimos’ right hand out of the blue. Deimos turned to look at Lio and asked.

‘Yes?’ Lio now turned to Deimos and raised an eyebrow.

‘Yes?’

‘What?’

‘What?’ Deimos frowned at Lio and let go of his hand, throwing it back at him. Lio then mumbled to himself.

‘Ok, no holding hands.’ Lio then turned back to face Deimos as he swung his left arm round his neck.

‘Lio, what are you doing?!’ Lio then retreated and said.

‘No arm-round-neck either?’ Deimos was getting a little annoyed now as he raised his voice.

‘Dude, can you please tell me what the hell you’re doing?’ Lio placed his right hand behind his head as he said.

‘I’m trying to see what you like, so I’m just trying them out one-by-one and making a mental note. You know, like that time when I asked you how many times you wanted to cu-...’ Deimos lunged forward and cupped Lio’s mouth before he could finish his sentence.

‘Ok ok, I get it.’ Deimos then let out a heavy sigh as he continued, ‘You know you can just open your mouth and ask me directly? I can tell you...’ Lio’s eyes brightened up as he asked eagerly.

‘Great! I’ll come up with a list and go through it with you.’ Deimos flashed Lio a frown before laughing briefly to himself.

‘You’re so weird man...’

‘What? I wanna know what you like babe. Can I call you ‘babe’?’

‘You can call me anything you like...’ Deimos rolled his eyes as he said this.

‘Anything? Ok ma’am!’ Deimos turned back quickly to face Lio and said.

‘No, not that!’ Lio stuck out his tongue at Deimos, taunting him and refusing to acknowledge the exception. The team soon found themselves at the edge of the Highlands, evident by the dulling of colours as well as the returning of the rocky terrain. The temperature was also beginning to rise, with the heat of the northern volcanic region radiating strongly through a large portion of the island. At this distance away from the Everstream, the water was a nice comfortable warm temperature. The water that was found near the source was close to boiling, which actually facilitated the formation of the crystals. The squad had a familiar sight before them now; a rocky fence that circled and protected the Highlands from the rest of the world was now standing in their way once again. Except that now the team was trying to escape rather than enter. Rion was not too keen on scaling it as the vertical climb was not only much more tiring, but a lot more dangerous as well. However, this time he was not sure if he had the luxury of an alternative option.

‘What now?’ Rhodes presented the question to the rest of the team as everyone stood dumbfounded before the towering mountains. Rhen carelessly suggested.

‘Let’s climb!’ Rion turned to her and said sternly.

‘No. No climbing.’ Just before Rion could suggest an alternative, Eros exclaimed.

‘There’s a path further up ahead!’ Everyone turned toward the direction that he was pointing at and ran over to inspect it. It was extremely narrow and tight, no problem for the individual members to fit through, but the issue was their equipment. Rion stared at the enticing option in front of him and was deep in thought when suddenly Rhen spoke up saying.

‘What are we waiting for? Let’s go!’ Dr Ena then turned to her and said.

‘Go? Can’t you see that we can’t fit through?’

‘Of course we can! We just need to leave our tents behind.’ Rhodes and Dr Ena turned to stare at her, to which Rhodes replied aggressively.

‘Excuse me, what? If we leave our tents behind then how are we going to make camp?’ The only person who nodded to this statement was Dr Ena, with every other member being very used to the harsh environments of the natural world, they clearly saw no problem with it. Lio then whispered to Deimos softly.

‘Can you imagine us having sex in the open. That’ll be cool wouldn’t it?’ Deimos nudged Lio away. Then Rhen rebutted Dr Ena.

‘Well if you have a better idea then let’s hear it!’ Dr Ena then replied sloppily.

‘We can move the things in one piece by one piece and still make it through to the other sid-...’ Rhen interrupted rudely and shouted.

‘ONE PIECE?! We might as well wait for Zorah’s baby to start dying and make its way to the Everstream because by the time we’re done, Zorah would’ve found a wife and settled down with many little Zorahs running around! You’re joking, doctor, please tell me you’re joking.’ Dr Ena was frustrated with the way Rhen spoke to him, but he couldn’t deny that she was making an extremely valid point. Rion then spoke up and decided.

‘Only bring along your essentials. Leave the tents. Let’s move.’ At those words, Lio elbowed Deimos energetically as he placed the equipment he was carrying down quickly, he then quickly did the same for Deimos as he threw their things on the floor, clearly excited with the idea. Deimos was shaking his head as he saw something so small was making Lio so happy. Rhen crept up to Rhodes and whispered into her ears.

‘I’ll make a nice bed of cockroaches for you tonight!’ Rhodes shivered and pushed Rhen away. As Dr Ena and Rhodes were still grasping with the reality of sleeping on the cold hard ground, the hunters were already making their way through the narrow passage. Lio noticed their worried looks and said.

‘Don’t worry, we hid them properly. We will have proper tents on our way back.’ After those words, Lio ushered Dr Ena and Rhodes to move as they were now the last ones to make their way through. Deimos followed closely behind Rhodes, with Lio as the last man. Even without any equipment, the hunters had to unbuckle their weapons while squeezing through the tight spaces. Though inconvenient, it was plausible. After a few hundred metres, the team finally emerged from the claustrophobic pathway into an open cavern with a skylight. It created the illusion of space; that the cavern was larger than it actually was. It ventilated the air and provided much appreciated light as well. The squad regrouped and continued on their way through the cave. The cave was rather straightforward and the path was smooth, it was almost as if the Coral Highlands were sending the group off toward the Everstream. As the team traversed the caves, Deimos felt Phobos sink his nails into neck.

‘Oww... Cut it out!’ Deimos reaching round back with his right hand and grabbing Phobos by the neck and pulling him away from his neck gently. Lio saw what happened and placed his right hand on Deimos’ right hand, releasing his grip on Phobos. And with his left hand, he placed it gently on Phobos’ head, scratching it slightly.

‘What’s wrong little guy?’ Phobos looked behind and stared Lio shaking. Phobos then released his grip on Deimos’ neck and stretched his paws toward Lio, pleading him to carry him in his arms. As soon as Deimos felt the weight on his shoulders disappear, he turned around and saw Lio cradling Phobos in his arms. Deimos shook his head as he said.

‘You big, fat baby...’ Lio was holding Phobos with his left arm and scratching his exposed belly with his right. Phobos then grabbed Lio’s index and last finger with his paws, pulling it toward himself and hugging his large palm.

‘Aww... Phobos is so cute!’ Deimos then chuckled and said.

‘Yeah, he’s cute now. Wait till you see how he is when he’s hungry.’ Lio smiled when he heard that, but continued staring at Phobos. Deimos sighed and wore a smile shortly after and continued, ‘But you two do look very cute together. The two cats in my life...’ Lio now looked up at Deimos, confused.

‘Cats? How am I a cat?’

‘Leo? It’s Leo the lion isn’t it?’ Lio then burst out laughing as he corrected Deimos.

‘L-i-o. Lio as in Helios!’ Deimos then frowned and gave an unamused look.

‘Dude, Helios is the God of the Sun, and the horoscope Leo also represents the sun. So you’re kinda the same thing.’ Lio raised his eyebrows in amazement and said.

‘Ohh really? I didn’t know that.’ Lio then turned back down to the other feline in his arms and said, ‘Looks like we’re buddies then!’ A weak but obvious smile started appearing on Phobos’ face amidst his fear the moment he heard Lio’s words. Before long, the team spotted a light at the end of the cave, glowing and shining brightly in contrast to the darkness of the cave. They were elated to see this as they picked up their pace toward the exit. As they emerged, the air was significantly drier now, though not as dry as the Wastes, it was warm. The squad were greeted with quite a magnificent view; where a large river was by their right side, flowing toward a group of mountains that were tarnished red with lava. At the base of the volcano, a rather rare spectacle; large pure whitish blue crystals that protruded from the earth crudely gave the aggressive looking landscape a cool touch. This was in terms of colour only, of course, for the crystals were scorching hot with energy. So much so that the water around it constantly boiled, with steam visible even from miles away.

‘Is that...’ Rhen’s sentence was interjected by Dr Ena’s confirmation.

‘Yup. And from the crystal formations, it looks like Zorah hasn’t...’ Rion then interrupted Dr Ena by pointing at a row of volcanoes that seemed to be moving toward the Everstream. Dr Ena then muttered under his breath, ‘Shit...’ Rion then turned to the rest of the team.

‘We don’t have much time, Zorah is almost there. We have to keep movin-...’ Before Rion could complete his sentence, a violent rustle in the trees stole everyone’s attention away from Zorah momentarily, primarily because there was no wind. As everyone was surveying their surroundings to find the source of the disturbance, a large dark oval shaped object fell from a tree in front of them. The seemingly harmless object was now lying on the floor, motionless and covered in a scaly exterior. Eros went up to the curious object and bent down to take a closer look.

‘I’ve never seen an egg like this before. Looks really tough.’ The moment Dr Ena caught a glimpse of the object, Eros had already touched it with his finger. Upon contact with Eros’ finger, the object began glowing orange. The intensity of the orange grew, eventually turning hot red and began turning white. Dr Ena quickly shouted.

‘MOVE!’ The team dispersed from the glowing object upon hearing the doctor’s shout and barely made it out safely as the object exploded loudly and violently, burning everything around it, leaving naught but ash. As everyone got up, Lio, Eros and Rhen stared at the burnt marks before Eros questioned Dr Ena.

‘What kind of egg was that?!’

‘That was not an egg. That was a scal-...’ Before Dr Ena could complete his sentence, another one of those scales dropped near where they were standing. Deimos was already scanning the skies, suspecting the culprit to be airborne. Rion then announced.

‘We should keep moving...’ The team nodded and began moving, careful not to touch any of these scaly pods as they walked. Initially, there were only a few around the area, but as the squad continued further, the pods began appearing more abundantly, causing panic to slowly creep into the members of the group. With the team so engrossed with the pods littered all around the area, they failed to notice the trees beginning to rustle yet again. This time, there was more than one tree that was rustling, and a chain reaction seemed to begin from where they came from to where they were now. The moment the rustling stopped, a huge shadow appeared on the ground, and the culprit descended from directly over them. As the team looked up, they saw a huge creature, with scales coloured a very rusted brass colour, and huge wings spanning over a few metres. As they looked up at this humungous monster, familiar pods continued dropping before them, forcing them to constantly retreat backwards while ensuring they maintain eye-contact with this imminent threat. Deimos noticed where the pods were dropping from, and saw that they came from the underside of the creature neck as well as from the tip of its tail. They were lodged onto the beast like suction cups, loose enough to detach if enough force were applied. As the monster descended, its small face could be seen at the tip of its rounded blunt head. At this point, the creature was relatively calm and merely observing the foreign visitors in front of it. Then with one careless step, Rion hit the back of his heel against a pod, priming it. A familiar sizzling sound could be heard as the whole team turned to look at the singular pod, now glowing a bright orange. Rion looked up and shouted at the squad.

‘Run!’ The whole team made a run for it as the pod exploded, causing a chain reaction. With all the neighbouring pods now exploding, the area was now not only charred but extremely loud with multiple ‘pops’ occurring periodically. The momentary silence after all the pods exploded gave the squad a brief sense of safety, until they heard a high pitch screech that pierced their eardrums, sending a wave of discomfort through their bodies. Deimos turned back and saw the creature now diving down, head first toward the squad. He then muttered to himself.

‘Ahh fuck...’


	33. Heartburn

‘Is it too much to ask for one day without bullshit?!’ Deimos shouted as he signalled the team to move out of the way of the torpedoing wyvern. Rion stretched out both of his arms and pushed Rhodes and Dr Ena violently out of the way, causing them to fall onto the floor face-first. Eros rolled away toward the same direction as his handler while Rhen, Lio and Deimos dodged over to the other side. The volatile wyvern sloppily crashed its head onto the ground, causing some of the scaly pods from under its neck to fall off and litter the ground. It had no regard for its size and movements that it began priming the pods that landed on the ground instantly. It was impervious to the explosions occurring just under it as it turned its attention to the trio that were now on its right.

‘GO!’ Lio shouted across to the four of them as he unsheathed his weapon. Eros drew his weapon too and was approaching from the back.

‘Fucking Bazel-shit, why do you always appear when you’re not wanted!’ Rhen shouted at the monster as if it could understand the words coming out of her mouth. Lio turned to her and asked.

‘Bazel what?’ Rhen turned and frowned at Lio as she replied.

‘Bazel-fuck!’

‘What?’

‘What?’ Their conversation was rudely interrupted by the creature who was now arching its back and lifting its head high, getting ready to smash it downward onto the two of them. As soon as Deimos noticed this, he took the opportunity to run straight under the beast, sliding in between its legs, emerging from under its tail. He got up quickly, and ran straight toward Eros, preventing him from advancing closer to the Bazelgeuse.

‘Follow the rest, leave this to us...’

‘I can fight! I...’ Deimos threw Eros an intimidating stare as he raised his voice saying.

‘I know you can, but I need you with them in case they run into something else. Now go!’ Deimos ended his statement with a firm push on Eros’ chest, causing him to fall back a few steps. Eros’ face originally plastered a look of frustration, but he decided to listen to Deimos as he retreated to join the other three. Deimos now turned his attention back to the beast who just married its forehead with the ground where Lio and Rhen stood a few seconds ago. The Bazelgeuse had its belly now flat on the ground as it used its wings to push its dense body off from the ground.

‘What are you weak to... Show me something...’ Deimos mumbled to himself as he began scanning and studying the creature’s behaviour. As the creature got up, it was momentarily distracted by a few storm clouds that were beginning to form again over the Highlands. A few bolts of lightning could be seen from a distance, not close enough to cause any sort of harm, but the body language of the beast was beginning to relay valuable information to Deimos as he witnessed this behaviour. Deimos smiled to himself as he turned the dial at the back of his charge blade to that of thunder element as he rushed back into the fray.

‘What’s the name of this creature, Rhen?’ Lio shouted as Rhen vaulted to the sky.

‘I TOLD YOU! BAZEL-AHH!’ Rhen was hit off the sky as the creature’s wing turned the corner to reposition. Usually this sort of thing would not get the better of an experienced insect glaive user, but considering the sudden enquiry coming from Lio, this was an acceptable exception. Rhen landed on her side as she tumbled on the floor. Lio, who was facing the monster head-on, found it challenging to aid her, so Deimos ran over to her instead. As soon as Lio noticed this, he fired his clutch claw on to the creature’s left wing, and stabbed it with his hunting knife. The small but sharp blade pierced the soft flesh with ease, turning the region around the wound scarlet red. The Bazelgeuse screeched in pain as it swung its wing toward a rock wall, attempting to throw Lio off. The moment he saw this, he detached his claw and fired it toward the creature’s head. The sharp metallic claws dug its way nicely into the gaps between the scales, finding and comfortable grip on the side of the monster’s head. This was when Lio unsheathed his greatsword, and with only one hand on the handle he directed the weight of the blade directly onto the crown of the beast. The sheer weight shattered the first layer of scales, causing immense pain to the creature as it began swinging its head around erratically.

‘You ok?’ Deimos knelt down by Rhen who had her left hand on her head, trying to regain consciousness.

‘Your boyfriend likes to ask questions at all the wrong times!’ This made Deimos chuckle as he laughed to himself.

‘You have no idea.’ Deimos then brought himself back into reality as he noticed Lio getting swung around by the Bazelgeuse. ‘Get up!’ He placed his hands below Rhen’s armpits and got her back up on her feet as the two ran back quickly to join the fight. Bazelgeuse was beginning to scrape its head against the ground violently, trying to remove the persistent pest that found its way on its head. Realising that all its efforts were yielding no results, Bazelgeuse decided to try something different. So it turned its attention to the two hunters that were running over towards it. It folded both its wings and anchored them on the floor with its claws dug into the earth by its side. Its feet pressed firmly against the ground, with the sole of its left foot fully placed on the floor while its right foot positioned itself behind with its heel up. Then without warning, Bazelgeuse kicked itself off from the ground while simultaneously releasing its grip on the ground, propelling its whole body forward toward Deimos and Rhen.

‘FUCKIN-...!’ Rhen screamed as she saw the huge scaled wyvern now lunging forward towards her. Deimos quickly wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her away to the side, barely causing the body slam to miss. Lio was thrown off in the middle of the lunge, and landed beside the other two hunters. He got up and turned to Rhen saying.

‘You’ve fought this monster before?’ Rhen turned to him annoyed and said.

‘Shut your pie hole you piece of shit! We can talk later, let’s deal with this motherfucker first!’ Lio’s eyes widened in shock as he turned to Deimos. Deimos shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back quickly to the enraged beast. Deimos ran directly towards the belly of the creature feet, where he sank his blade into its feet. Though still protected by scales, the underside of the creature was considerably less protected. This caused Bazelgeuse to react by throwing a kick at Deimos. He saw the kick coming and reacted quickly by rolling to the left. With his blade still lodged into the monster’s feet, he ran back to it and tried to pull it out, but it was stuck. The blade had sunk too deep into the flesh, and the tensed up muscles in the creature’s feet was now holding onto the blade firmly, disallowing it from being removed. Seeing that he had no other choice, Deimos decided to thrust his shield upward and toward the creature’s chest. The strong impact caused Bazelgeuse to gag as it toppled and fell over on its side.

‘LIO!’ Deimos shouted. Lio quickly emerging from the front of the beast, arriving next to Deimos, panting as he replied.

‘Yeah?’

‘Give me a hand with this...’ Deimos signalled to the blade that was sticking out of the Bazelgeuse’s foot. Lio flashed a confused and judgemental stare before attempting to pull out the blade. The two grown men had both their pair of hands locked on the handle of the blade attempting to pull it out to no avail.

‘What... did... you... DO...?! Why is it stuck?!’ Lio asked in frustration as Deimos ignored him, focusing all of his energy into retrieving his only form of self-defence. Finally, the blade was freed from the feet, revealing the gashing wound that it left behind. Despite this, the Bazelgeuse managed to get back up on its two feet as it let out yet another screeching roar. As Deimos was enduring the pain of the roar, his blurred attention was momentarily drawn to the volatile scales that sat comfortably underneath the creature’s neck, giving him an idea. He turned to Lio and said.

‘Let me have the head.’ Lio smirked at Deimos and replied.

‘All yours, buddy.’ Lio then ran straight toward the side of the creature where Deimos was previously. With energy now stored in both his blade and his shield, Deimos morphed out his axe and ran toward the creature while dragging it along the ground. As he began closing the distance, the beast tucked its head in and flung it back out toward Deimos. He skilfully dodged the headbutt with a timely step to the side. Deimos now found himself standing in front of the creature, where he wasted no time as he swung his axe laterally around him to build momentum before crashing it on the underside of the monster’s chin. The impact ignited a spark and generated a strong electric pulse, causing a crackle of blue lightning to generate at the tip of the axe. With a closed circuit now formed, the electrifying pulse was translated to the monster’s body, not only momentarily paralyzing the beast but priming its explosive scales as well. This form of destructive energy was not something the Bazelgeuse could endure, as it fell backward revealing the now scalded regions of its chin as well as the now charred black scales that lined the side of its face. With all of this happening at the front, something similar was occurring at the back, with Rhen landing multiple blows at the explosive pods that were housed at the tip of its flat meaty tail. The frequent priming of the pods was causing the creature a lot of discomfort as Bazelgeuse continuously swung its tail from left to right, attempting to incapacitate Rhen. Its attention was momentarily stolen away from Rhen when the electrifying explosion occurred but another surging wave of pain was soon felt when Lio pierced the tip of his thick blade vertically downward onto the creature’s tail after climbing on top of it. With his sword now lodged into its tail, Lio was using his body weight to cut through the flesh, but was interrupted promptly as Bazelgeuse flung him off with a strong swing of its tail. Lio’s stubborn grip on his sword caused the whole blade to dislodge itself as he lost his grip on the creature’s tail, and landed miserably on the ground. Noticing that Bazelgeuse’s attention was now on its rear, Rhen decided to give its tail a break and take to the skies. As the Bazelgeuse saw this, it decided to follow suit, chasing Rhen as she went airborne.

‘You ok?’ Deimos now kneeling beside Lio as he was still trying to get up.

‘Even in the middle of fighting a huge lizard, you still find time to fret over me...’ Lio sneaked in a smile as he teased his partner.

‘It’s because I fret over you, that’s why you’re still alive.’ Deimos returned the smile as he replied. They were rudely interrupted as a scaly pod landed beside the pair. They turned their gaze upwards and saw the Bazelgeuse consciously shaking its body as it was flying in the air, littering the zone with its explosive pods. Deimos then shouted at Rhen.

‘Come down Rhen!’ Rhen looked down the moment she heard the familiar voice calling out to her. She noticed what was going on as the ground started turning from green to black. However, the moment she grounded herself, the Bazelgeuse immediately began diving down in a similar manner as before; head-first and directly at the hunters. Deimos was not exceptionally fond with how this monster fought so foolhardily, with no regard for its environment or its own safety. Deimos pushed Lio to the side, away from danger as the Bazelgeuse barely missed them. The strong impact of its thick forehead crashing on the ground primed a few pods, which caused a chain reaction. Lio was able to react quickly and dodge the rapidly exploding pods but Deimos was not so lucky, as a pod by his left leg exploded with the small flames kissing the skin on his calves.

‘Shit!’ Deimos exclaimed in response to the sudden surge of pain felt in his shin. His body was begging for rest, but his mind knew he could not afford it, as the pods around his vicinity continued combusting. Just as he broke out of that distraction and back to the situation at hand, his back felt a sudden rise in temperature with another pod exploding and the hot air scalding his entire back. ‘AHH!’ Deimos screamed in pain as he fell forward. Lio and Rhen turned toward the scream, and while they were not safe from the scaly pods, they were more concerned with what was happening to Deimos. Both of them began running toward Deimos the moment they saw him lying on the floor, with Rhen occasionally keeping her attention on Bazelgeuse, making sure the hunters do not get caught off guard. Before reaching Deimos, Rhen decided to let Lio worry about Deimos while she distracted the beast. She pushed herself off the ground with her glaive, elevating her just above the Bazelgeuse’s face as she somersaulted downward, allowing her twin blades to slice at the creature’s head. With most of the scales on the top of its head still intact, Rhen’s strike failed to do significant damage. Upon noticing that the scales around the face and neck badly burnt, she decided to change her focus as she stayed low, trying hard to get an angle on the Bazelgeuse’s chin and neck region. She waited patiently for the monster to make its move, as it flung its head toward her like a rampaging bull. She dodged to the side skilfully, before kicking herself back and sliding under its head. She now pivoted her glaive such that one blade jutted upward while the other pointed downward toward the ground. The moment the top blade touched the raw, burnt flesh, it pierced it seamlessly. The Bazelgeuse wailed in pain as it felt the sudden prick in its neck. Desperate to relief the pain, it tried to swing its head away from Rhen, but she jammed the other blade into the ground, anchoring it between a few rocks, causing the glaive to lock in place and the blade refusing to release the creature. The sudden pull back from Rhen’s glaive sent another wave of pain through the Bazelgeuse’s spine, which caused it to begin thrashing its wings around, destroying everything around it. Rhen took a risk and stood in place, deciding to dig her blade deeper by making her glaive more perpendicular to the ground, sinking the blade into the beast while maintaining the strong anchor on the ground.

‘Deimos! You alright?’ Deimos squinted as he said.

‘Hurts like a bitch, but I’m fine.’ Lio turned his attention to Deimos’ now scalded back and realised it was quite severe. At least Deimos was fine, he thought. Lio got him up as Deimos readied his weapon, causing Lio to say.

‘You’re still fighting?’ Deimos turned to him and said.

‘You expect Rhen to handle that beast by herself? Let’s go!’ Lio was not the type to insist, so while he was worried, he didn’t stop Deimos. While Deimos was right that Rhen needed help taking the beast down, she was doing a heck of a job on her own, practically holding the enormous titan in place with nothing but her glaive. Lio quickly processed what was going on as he locked his eyes at the now exposed belly of the creature. He sped up his advance as his right hand reached round back to grab the handle of his greatsword, freeing it from its scabbard. As he arrived at its belly, in one swift motion he swung his blade upward from his side, slicing the creature’s bare skin cleanly before Lio pushed the thick blade upward directly into the chest of the beast. Bazelgeuse’s feet gripped the ground in pain as its tail cramped stiff as its body went into a state of emergency and shock. Its pupil began dilating as its wings could be seen to tremble in both fatigue and desperation. Deimos dropped his blade as he saw this as he screamed at Lio and Rhen.

‘STOP!’ The two of them turned to face Deimos, shocked at what was the problem. Deimos ran up to Lio and pushed him forcefully away from his blade, causing him to fall on the ground. Deimos then pulled his greatsword out from the creature’s chest, simultaneously turning around to glare at Rhen and pointing at her glaive that was still lodged into the creature’s neck.

‘Are you crazy?! You want me t-...’

‘Get your fucking stick out now!’ Rhen rolled her eyes as she obliged. The Bazelgeuse’s trembling stopped, but fell over on its side as its body still struggled to endure the overwhelming influx of force and hurt. Its pupil remained dilated as its heart rate began rising, which also sped up the bleeding of its multiple wounds now flooding its vicinity with a crimson red fluid. Deimos knelt by the side of the Bazelgeuse’s face and placed his hand next to its eye, stroking it gently.

‘Stay with me buddy, you’re alright...’ The creature locked eyes with Deimos as it felt this foreign yet comforting touch, as its gaze relaxed momentarily before it closed its eyes and its heartbeat faded. ‘Fuck...’ Deimos muttered to himself as he shed a tear for the beast that now lay lifeless in front of him. Lio and Rhen stood behind Deimos, and before the crime scene as a surge of unknown guilt began coursing through their body. While they had no problem hunting monsters, somehow this scene was making them feel terrible. They were unsure if it was Deimos that was responsible for that reaction or if it was something else, but the bottom line was they felt it. Lio elbowed Rhen while whispering to her.

‘Was he like this even in the Old World?’ Rhen shrugged her shoulders as she replied.

‘I barely knew him…’

Deimos picked up one of the blasted pods that were lying next to the Bazelgeuse’s head and held onto it before sliding his fingers down the Bazelgeuse’s eyelids to close them shut. As he stood up, Lio cautiously advanced over to his side, asking softly.

‘Everything alright?’ Deimos turned to Lio with slightly red eyes before picking up his weapon and walking off. Lio felt lost, and while he could guess what Deimos was worked up over, it didn’t make him feel any better. Rhen walked up to Lio and patted him firmly on his back as she said.

‘Give it a rest, pussy cat. He’ll be fine.’ Lio sighed upon hearing those words, as the two of them followed closely behind him.

The rest of the team found a small cave not far from where they first sighted the Bazelgeuse and took refuge there while waiting for the hunters to return. Eros was still bitter about being left out of the hunting party, as he sat next to Rhodes sulking.

‘What’s the matter with you?’ Rhodes broke the silence asking.

‘Nothing.’ Rhodes laughed as she pointed at his clear expression of agitation.

‘You were not born with a face like that. Come on, spit it out.’ Eros turned to Rhodes, flashing her a brief look of disapproval before he quickly relented.

‘Why did Deimos ask me to take care of you guys instead of Rhen? Or Lio? Or even himself! I hate it when people treat me like a kid! I’m not a kid!’ Rhodes raised her hands and placed them on Eros’ shoulders the moment she witnessed the sudden outburst.

‘Woah woah woah, nobody’s treating you like a kid. In fact, I think Deimos sent you because he trusted you to do the job…’ Before Rhodes could finish, Eros interrupted saying.

‘Or maybe he just doesn’t want me in the team…’ Rhodes flashed Eros a frown as her logical mind struggled to connect the dots.

‘Getting ahead of yourself I see…’ Eros loosened up as he heard those words from his handler. He began regaining his sense of rationality and soon realised the ridiculousness of his thought process. Eros sighed as he replied.

‘I know… I guess it would help if he spoke nicely? Or at least explain why he does certain things, I don’t know.’ Rhodes let out a chuckle as she replied.

‘You’re such a softie! So easily bruised.’ Rhodes regained her composure before continuing. ‘You should probably talk to him then.’ Eros looked at her and asked.

‘When do you think is a good time?’ Rhodes replied as her gaze shifted.

‘How about now?’ Eros turned to the same direction that Rhodes was looking and saw Deimos return alone with a blasted scale in his right hand. The team stood up the moment they saw him and Rhodes immediately asked.

‘Hey! Where are the rest?’ Deimos ignored her as he walked past her. As Rhodes’ eyes continued resting on Deimos as he walked past her, she eventually locked eyes with Eros while gesturing to him that now was not a good time to speak to him. Eros got the message and made sure he was not in Deimos’ way. But Deimos walked up to him and spoke.

‘Was there any trouble while we were gone?’ Eros turned to look at Deimos as he replied nervously.

‘Uhh… Yeah, I mean no. There was nothing, everything’s fine.’ Deimos grunted as he patted Eros’ left shoulder as a sort of thanks before turning his back to him and walking away. This revealed his severely scalded back to both Eros and Rhodes, to which Eros instinctively said loudly while accidentally touching his flesh.

‘What happened?! Are you ok?’ Deimos frowned as the painful sensation coursed quickly throughout his entire body the moment Eros’ skin met with his flesh. Deimos grunted but didn’t say anything as he stopped in his tracks. Rhodes emerged from behind and slapped Eros’ hand that was placed naively on the burnt skin as she said.

‘Don’t touch it!’ Rhodes then went round to face Deimos as she asked.

‘Let me take a look.’ Deimos looked up at her as he recovered from his frown.

‘I’m fine.’ Rhodes futilely pushed Deimos from the front on his shoulders with all her strength to stop his advancement. He could have easily overpowered her but he didn’t, to which Rhodes replied.

‘Rubbish. Sit your ass down and let me take a look. I won’t ask again.’ Rhodes’ demeanour and confidence was what kept her going all this while, and people somehow found her persona compelling enough to simply comply. Rhodes brought Deimos to the side and sat him down with his back facing her. His dark brown skin was now a very pinkish red, which was worrying. Rhodes said to Deimos from behind.

‘Don’t move.’ Rhodes then ran around the cave looking for puddles of water where watermoss would grow. She managed to find a small group of them, to which she grabbed a bunch and started mashing nullberries together. It was the same medicine she used to heal Lio’s scalded wound from the Glavenus fight back in the Wastes.

‘Where’s Lio and Rhen?’ Deimos remained silent as Eros asked his question. Eros then prompted, ‘Deimos?’

‘They’re coming.’ Eros then asked again.

‘Why weren’t they with you?’ Deimos sighed and ignored his question again. So Eros then probed, ‘Deimos?’ Deimos then turned to Eros and glared at him before saying calmly.

‘Eros, I would appreciate if you kept the questions to a minimum alright?’ Eros retreated and fell silent the moment Deimos snapped at him. At this juncture, Rhodes returned with the medicine as she shooed Eros away so that she had space to treat Deimos’ wounds.

‘This is going to sting, bear with me.’ Deimos offered no verbal response but was visibly prepared as he bent forward, as if welcoming Rhodes to tend to his wounds. The moment the watermoss touched his skin, the sensation of a cool and moist substance against the scalded flesh sent an initial wave of excruciating pain up Deimos’ spine. He squint his eyes and clamped the two layers of teeth together. Rhodes wanted to do it quickly so she deciding to smear the medicine throughout his whole back in one swift motion. This caused Deimos to eventually start moaning in pain.

‘AHH! Fuck!’

‘Sorry! We’re almost done, almost done.’ Rhodes said as she picked up the pace, applying more of the medicine. Rhodes was soon done with the application as Deimos’ back now glistening with a shiny layer of moisture. It was cooling and offered a rather pleasant sensation after the initial wave of pain. Rhodes then patted Deimos on the shoulder lightly as she said, ‘Ok, we’re done. Here, drink this.’ Rhodes handed Deimos a small leaf with a thick golden fluid. She mixed in a generous amount of sweet honey with some smashed up nullberries to speed up the healing process. Deimos stood up and muttered without turning to look at Rhodes.

‘No thanks.’ Rhodes got up on her feet and stood in front of him quickly.

‘Stop being a pain in the ass and drink it!’ Deimos looked at her in the eyes with a menacing stare, but she appeared to be unaffected by it as she stared back with equally menacing eyes. He eventually relented as he took the leaf from her and drank the fluid.

‘Happy?’ Deimos asked sarcastically, to which Rhodes replied.

‘Elated.’ As she snatched the empty leaf back and walked off. Eros followed her and said to her.

‘He snapped at me again…’ Rhodes turned to stare at him when she heard that.

‘You spoke to him?! Didn’t I tell you not to…’

‘No, yeah, I didn’t talk to him about that, I was just… Talking!’ Rhodes slapped her forehead with her left palm as she replied.

‘My dear boy, just leave Deimos alone for now. He looks like he’ll murder anyone or anything that gets in his way.’ Eros then said bitterly.

‘He didn’t murder you!’ Rhodes turned and smiled at Eros as she replied arrogantly.

‘Even the best knows when they’re beat.’

At this point, Lio and Rhen appeared from the cave entrance and greeted the rest of the team. Rhen went to Eros and pinched his cheek and Lio went straight to Deimos. Before Lio could reach Deimos, Rhodes stopped him and asked.

‘I wouldn’t get too close if I were you. What happened anyway, why is he so upset?’ Lio sighed as he replied.

‘We kinda killed the Bazelgeuse.’ Rhodes flashed Lio a frown and asked.

‘So? Ohh…’ Rhodes then looked away and was clearly deep in thought. Lio then repeated his previous question.

‘Was he like this back in th-…’ Rhodes interrupted Lio as if knowing what he wanted to ask.

‘I didn’t know him that well. But I have never seen him this upset before. Hell, I’ve rarely seen Deimos express so much emotion before, not just anger, but joy too. He’s like a totally different person ever since he came to the New World.’ Rhodes looked at Lio who unsurprisingly still wore a worried look. ‘Sorry we can’t be of more help. Good luck...’ Lio flashed Rhodes an appreciative smile as he advanced slowly toward Deimos. He saw Deimos seated on a rock, sharpening his hunting knife with a flask of water on the side. Lio sat beside him and helped himself to a mouthful of water before looking at Deimos.

‘I thought you couldn’t get any more tan, looks like I was wrong. Haha!’ Deimos ignored him as he continued sharpening his tool. Lio awkwardly continued his laugh before asking, ‘Ha...ha... hmm... Hey...’ He then placed his left hand on Deimos’ right cheek to turn and face him. ‘Talk to me, please?’ Deimos smiled and replied.

‘Ohh I intend to, just not now.’ Deimos got up and walked straight to Rion to report what had happened. Lio sat that, still frozen in place, unsure of what to feel. Granted, this did make him feel better than before, but Deimos’ cold behaviour was making him feel very anxious.

‘Sir, the Bazelgeuse will no longer be a problem. We can keep moving.’ Rion nodded at the report, but as soon as Deimos turned his back, Rion opened his mouth and said.

‘Young man, you alright?’ Deimos stopped and turned his head slightly before responding.

‘Never better.’ Dr Ena then chuckled as he said.

‘That burn doesn’t look pleasant...’ Rion then replied.

‘Neither does his tone...’

Eros and Lio both felt helpless getting through to Deimos, so they decided to approach each other for help. Eros started by asking.

‘What the hell happened, Lio? Why is Deimos behaving like this all of a sudden?’ Lio then let out a nervous laughter as he placed his right hand behind his head as he replied.

‘We were fighting the Bazelgeuse and I guess you could say we... went overboard...?’ Eros perked his eyebrows as he asked.

‘Overboard?’

‘We kinda killed it.’ Lio replied nervously.

‘So? Ohh...’ Eros, just like Rhodes, realised what the problem was almost immediately. The two of them felt like the people who knew Deimos the best, respective to everyone else, at least. Eros then looked down and explained. ‘Yeah, Deimos has a strong affection toward all things from nature. He will never harm or kill anything unless it is purely for defence or food, basically survival. He is very strict about this but I’ve never seen him like this before, it’s as if he...’

‘Changed?’ Lio interjected. Eros then looked up at Lio and corrected him.

‘Quite the opposite actually, it’s as if he’s back to his normal self. He was a tough cookie back in the Old World, and by tough I mean solitary and stubborn, rarely happy and always very serious.’ Lio let out an instinctive laugh as he replied.

‘It’s quite difficult to imagine that version of Deimos...’ Eros then chuckled in response as he said.

‘Yeah, it’s harder to imagine falling in love with it...’ Lio’s eyes widened as he heard that. He quickly turned to Eros and apologised.

‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply tha-...’

‘Haha, it’s fine! He was great then, and he’s great now. It just sucks whenever he...’

‘Shuts off...’ Eros looked up as Lio completed his sentence. He gave a gentle nod as the both of them stared at Deimos from a distance, sighing helplessly.


	34. Unstable Concoction

Deimos adjusted the black cloth round his neck as the fabric was beginning to agitate the scalded skin on his back. Ironically, the more he tried to relief this discomfort, the more pain he felt, which caused him to eventually give up trying. Just as he was about to give up, he felt a tug on his cloth from behind. Without hesitation, Deimos said.

‘Lio, I told you we’ll talk later, can you leav-...’

‘Stop your whining and stand still wonder boy, you’re a mess from behind!’ The familiar and unexpected voice caused Deimos to bite his tongue as he stopped speaking momentarily. As rough as Rhen was, she was careful when adjusting the cloth, making sure to minimise her contact with his wound. ‘Ok done. You comfy?’ Deimos nodded without turning to look at her.

‘Thanks’, Deimos then resumed gathering his things with his back still facing Rhen. Rhen just stood there and stared at Deimos from behind. Deimos had thought she left, so he turned around to see her still standing there looking at him. ‘Yes?’

‘Nothing, just staring at you.’ Deimos perked his left eyebrow as he flashed Rhen a judgemental stare before continuing with his own business. Rion appeared from the side and asked.

‘How are you feeling?’ Deimos noticed Rion addressing him and stood up immediately and said.

‘I’m good sir, we should keep moving.’ Deimos walked off before Rion could respond. Rion now turned his gaze to Rhen who was still standing there.

‘What on earth happened?’ Rhen turned to Rion with a tiresome look on her face.

‘Haiya, nothing happened! Goodness, Deimos is just being dramatic. We fought against the bloody lizard and ended up killing it. And wonder boy doesn’t like it when we kill shit. Stupid isn’t it? He should’ve thought about that before becoming a fucking hunter... What did he think hunters were going to do? Have tea with wild creatures...?’ Rion allowed the string of profanities mainly because they were flying over his head. He was focusing more on the details of what actually happening and filtering out the judgements made by Rhen. Rion entered a deep state of thought as he returned his gaze to Deimos, who was already exiting the cave. Rion signalled everyone to continue moving as they made their way out of the cave shortly after. The team continued their journey toward the volcanic region where Zorah was last seen heading toward. The air was getting hotter, but it wasn’t dry, in fact it was extremely humid, being so close to the boiling river. The forested region was visibly beginning to dwindle as the soft green landscape was slowly transforming into a harsh blackish red terrain of molten rock as the team looked forward into the distance. Rion was leading the way and already eager to find a resting spot for the rest of the day. Even though they covered less ground than he had hoped, he was not keen on travelling when his hunters were not at their best; both physically and mentally.

Lio and Deimos took the back as usual, and Lio kept stealing glances at Deimos to check on him, hoping to catch any opportunity to speak with him. Deimos kept a rather straight and serious expression throughout the journey, making things extremely challenging for Lio. So Lio decided to nudge Deimos on his left shoulder lightly with his right shoulder. Deimos turned to look at Lio after the nudge but Lio refused to make eye contact with him, acting oblivious to the nudge. So Deimos returned his attention to the front. As soon as that happened, Lio sent him another nudge. This time, Deimos returned the nudge, causing Lio to move out of position momentarily. This caused a playful smile to appear on Lio’s face as he charged straight toward Deimos. Deimos took a step to the side, causing Lio to completely miss him and fall flat on the ground. As Lio tried to get up, he felt a large weight press on his back as Deimos sat on him.

‘Ahh!’ Deimos remained silent and didn’t budge. So Lio mustered his strength to push himself off the ground. At first, he was able to lift himself even with Deimos sitting on him, but as soon as he thought he was fine, a sudden force pushed him down onto the ground again. Deimos was now lying on top of him, pushing his whole body weight onto Lio. ‘You’re... very... heavy...’ Deimos now leaned in to Lio’s right ear and whispered.

‘Did you just call me fat?’ Lio widened his eyes as he replied quickly.

‘No no! I didn’t mea-...’ Lio now felt the sole of Deimos’ rough boots pressed heavily on his back as his face fell flat onto the ground. ‘Urghh...’ Lio began whining as the discomfort of the rough gravel on his face and the rough texture of Deimos’ boots on his back both agitated his skin. Deimos relished in the moment awhile longer, before flipping Lio with his back on the ground and helping him up. Deimos then helped him dust off the dirt that was on his body. ‘You’re a tough man to please...’ Deimos flashed Lio a smirk and replied.

‘And yet you’re still here...’

‘You’re more than worth the trouble, so of course I’m still here. What would I do without yo-...’ Deimos rolled his eyes as he interrupted.

‘Don’t flatter me, Lio.’ Deimos now turned his body and walked off, joining the rest of the team.

‘Flatter? I’m not flattering you, I’m telling you how I... Oi!’ Lio was now chasing Deimos back to the rest of the team. The team continued walking for about another tiresome hour before Rion found a small area that was well-sheltered by a group of trees. There were rocks around that concealed the area rather well, along with some grass patches. The area was also relatively close to a stream that connected to the river that came from the Everstream, so that made this spot ideal for making camp.

‘We rest here for the day. Get a fire started.’ Rion said as the hunters settled down. Lio didn’t settle down to rest, but got ready to grab some food for the team. He looked over at Eros and signalled him to follow. Deimos noticed this and said.

‘Let’s go...’ Lio then stretched his right hand, stopping Deimos.

‘Uhh, not so fast tiger, you rest. Eros and I can handle it.’ Deimos frowned and was about to reassure Lio he was fine, but Rion happened to hear the conversation and added on to his son’s statement saying.

‘I think that’s a good idea. You should rest.’ With this, Deimos decided to relent as he sat down. Lio then disappeared back out with Eros. Rion sat down next to Deimos and said to him, ‘I heard what happened.’ Deimos turned to Rion and perked his eyebrow as he replied.

‘What happened?’

‘The death of the Bazelgeuse seemed to affect you a lot.’ Deimos looked away as he heard this.

‘It’s nothing.’ Rion persisted as he said.

‘Is it really nothing? I’m not surprised with your reaction, especially after Lio told me about how you interacted with that Nargacuga back in the Ancient Forest. So what’s really going on?’ Deimos hesitated for awhile before he replied.

‘I have a hard time seeing animals suffer, that’s all. So while I understand why I feel so strongly towards it, I hate myself for not being to control it. So I guess for now I just need these timeouts to sort things out for myself.’ Rion smiled to himself as he replied.

‘I know exactly how you feel.’ Deimos looked up at Rion as he heard those words, with a sceptical expression on his face. ‘I was under a ruthless commander back in the Old World, and in the military during my time, they teach us to be fearless and always overpower our foes at all costs. Survival of the fittest, basically. I hated it, so I made a conscious effort to be in a position where I can influence those decisions. And that’s how I became a commander of Astera.’ Deimos then asked curiously.

‘I thought it was a simple passing of the mantle from father to son?’ Rion chuckled as he said.

‘My father was never the traditional sort. To put it simply, just because I was his son, he didn’t give me any special treatment, I had to prove myself. And I made sure I did. Did eliminating Zorah ever cross your mind as an option to our current problem?’ Deimos paused for awhile before shaking his head.

‘Neither did it for me, but apparently the rest of my council believed otherwise. Which makes sense, if you think about. We could eliminate Zorah there and then, remove the possibility of any danger or unknown. But what kind of monsters would that make us?’ Deimos didn’t offer any expression, but was merely listening to Rion’s story intently. ‘This is their world too, and I strive to coexist peacefully.’ Deimos was now at a loss for words. It felt good to know that there was someone who shared his sentiment, but somehow it didn’t make his current situation any simpler. Rion then continued, ‘Speak to Lio, for his sake. He is someone who needs closure, and it’s a good thing that he has an open mind. He’ll understand.’ Deimos looked up at Rion and nodded. Rion flashed Deimos a smile, before leaving him to his thoughts.

‘This spot has worms coming out of it! Gross!’ Rhodes was hopping around, careful not to step on the worms that were wriggling out of the ground.

‘They’re more afraid of you woman, stop it! Would you rather sleep on the cold hard rock?!’ Rhodes turned to Rhen with glistening eyes as she exclaimed.

‘Yes, that actually sounds much better.’ Rhen rolled her eyes and replied.

‘You say that now, good luck to your neck...’ Rhodes asked innocently.

‘What’s going to happen to my neck? Rhen? Oi, Rhen!’

Rion returned to Dr Ena who was looking uncomfortable with their new way of making camp. He didn’t seem too comfortable with being in such direct contact with nature. The false sense of security the tents seemed to give him were starting to be sorely missed.

‘Everything alright, doctor?’ Rion asked confidently.

‘Everything’s fine, sir. Just not really used to sleeping on the ground.’ Rion laughed as he said.

‘Nothing to fear. You only need to watch out for the leeches.’

‘Leeches?! What...? Where?!’ Rion burst out laughing once he saw the frantic expression on Dr Ena’s face. Dr Ena flashed an unamused expression as he looked at Rion saying, ‘Very funny sir...’ Rion looked at the doctor and said.

‘Lighten up, doctor. Things are about to get much more uncomfortable...’

Lio stretched out his left hand to stop Eros as he signalled him to look up ahead by gesturing two of his fingers on his eyes before pointing them at his target. Landed and scavenging over a dead corpse was a swarm of Barnos, three of them, to be exact. Eros followed Lio’s fingers and quickly caught up to what he was signalling at. Eros picked up a redpit from the bush they were hiding in and aimed it away from them. The foreign object hitting the ground created a distraction long enough for Lio to pounce on one of the Barnos, using his knees to press on its wings, preventing it from flying away. The other two Barnos took flight almost immediately, to which Lio threw his hunting knife at one of them, landing directly at the base of its neck, causing it to come crashing back down. Eros grabbed onto the legs of the final Barnos but was not heavy enough to pull it down. So the two were in a tug-of-war in midair as Eros struggled to reach for his hunting knife. As he released his grip of his right hand to reach for his knife, his left hand slipped and caused him to fall down. Lio pulled the knife out of the Barnos and slit the throat of the Barnos he pinned down. He looked up to find Eros airborne and descending toward him from above. Eros fell directly on Lio’s back and onto the ground.

‘Arghh, shit!’ Eros muttered as he pushed himself up from the ground. He turned around to find Lio’s face flat on the floor, pushing himself up as well. ‘Oh my god, Lio! I’m so sorry!’ Eros rushed over to help Lio up. Lio chuckled as he said.

‘It really isn’t my day today, haha.’ Lio patted Eros’ back with his right hand as a form of reassurance. The two looked at the two Barnos that they managed to catch, and were contented with their catch, as they returned to camp, each of them carrying one.

Deimos was still seated at where Rion left him. He was deep in thought, mainly thinking about why he felt so strongly towards the incident. While his stand did not change, his reaction was clearly overboard, and he didn’t enjoy feeling so volatile and out of control during situations like these. These were things that Deimos wanted to sort out and come to terms with quickly, as it affected not only him but the people around him as well; people he cared about. His thoughts were interrupted by rustling in the bushes in front of him, as Lio and Eros emerged with their catch. Lio and Eros carried the large winged drakes on their backs as they placed them in the centre of their campsite, where Rhen was preparing the fire.

‘Hey, time for your medicine...’ Deimos looked to his side to find Rhodes with a leaf and more of the watermoss and nullberry concoction. Deimos turned his back to face her and allowed her to apply the medication. He waited for a few seconds before the sensation of the cool fluid glazed his skin, causing the familiar sharp pain to return. He groaned quietly in pain but endured as the application of the medicine continued. After a while, Deimos noticed something was amiss. While he recognised the texture of the skin that was in contact with his back, he did not remember this texture to come from Rhodes. Before he could turn to check on his suspicions, he felt the hands wrap and smear the medication round his waist and onto his abs. Pressure was now felt on Deimos’ right shoulder as a chin rested itself onto it, following it were words accompanied by a familiar voice.

‘Does this feel better?’ Deimos turned his head to the right to see Lio staring straight at him. Deimos then leaned in closer toward Lio, which made Lio raise his eyebrows and relax, clearly enjoying what was happening. However, Deimos suddenly blew hard at his face, causing him to retract his head and move back. Deimos chuckled to himself as he looked to the front again, ignoring Lio. Lio hissed in annoyance as he continued applying the medicine. This time, he paid more attention to the upper back, and began tracing adventurously over to Deimos’ arms. He went along the contours of his triceps and squeezed it every now and then before landing his hands on his muscular forearms before eventually reaching his hands where he interlocked his fingers with Deimos’. Lio found his head next to Deimos’ again, this time on his left, so he said, ‘Seriously though, how’s your back?’ Deimos turned to look at Lio and said.

‘It’s ok. Hurts once in awhile but I’m fine.’ Lio wasn’t convinced, especially since he had full view of the wound, it did not look ok. Before he could say anything more, a stern and fierce voice appeared from behind the couple.

‘Why does everyone enjoy wasting my medicine? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make them?!’ Lio immediately broke away from the embrace and looked behind to see a furious Rhodes standing them with folded arms, staring directly into his soul.

‘Uhh... I was just being...’

‘Thorough?! Don’t give me that crap. Must I do everything myself?! First Rhen, now you... And you!’ Rhodes then poked the back of Deimos’ head firmly before continuing, ‘Why must it always be you?!’ Deimos didn’t offer any verbal response, but was rubbing the back of his head with his right hand while staring at Lio who was now sitting on his left. Lio flashed Deimos a nervous smile while he reached out to hold his left hand. Deimos turned to look at Lio when he saw him grab his hand. Lio then started massaging his palm, with slow but firm circular strokes, which calmed Deimos’ muscles down a little. While Deimos stared at Lio do this, Lio kept his eyes on Deimos’ palm as he massaged them intently. He pulled each finger while giving them a similar massaging treatment before moving past the palm and onto his wrist. Both of Lio’s hands were now holding onto Deimos’ forearm and pressing hard on them. He felt the strong muscles hold their ground against Lio’s powerful fingers. With Lio’s attention now on Deimos’ forearms, he didn’t notice Deimos’ left hand rising up toward his chin. Deimos held onto Lio’s chin and pulled Lio up to his face. The two of them were now looking at each other in the eyes, Deimos then continued pulling Lio in until their lips connected. Lio was reserved at first, careful not to overstep, so Deimos led the kiss by delivering the first bite and lick on Lio’s lips. This invitation sent a clear message to Lio, causing him to open his lips and return the kiss. The kiss was not a fierce one, by their usual standard at least, as Deimos intruded the inside of Lio’s mouth with his tongue. Slowly, and gently, he stroked the lining of Lio’s mouth before intertwining with his tongue, pushing hard against it. Their lips closing instinctively onto each other’s mouths, coating each other’s mouths with saliva. Deimos retreated to end the kiss, which caused Lio to open his eyes and ask innocently.

‘You ready to talk?’ Deimos smiled and shook his head lightly.

‘Maybe later...’

‘Ok done, drink up.’ Deimos’ and Lio’s eyes widened as they both turned to Rhodes who they forgot was there the whole time. Her face was void of expression as she handed Deimos a familiar fluid on a leaf that was in her left hand. Deimos took the leaf from Rhodes and obediently drank the fluid. Rhodes smiled at him and said, ‘Good boy!’ before standing up and taking her leave. Deimos turned back to Lio who looked equally puzzled. Lio recovered quickly and spoke up.

‘That was nice.’ Deimos raised his right eyebrow while flashing a mild smirk.

‘So now you’re contented with a 6?’ Lio tilted his head in confusion.

‘6?’

‘You rated my kiss a 6 out of 10...’ Lio cupped his mouth with his hands as he said.

‘Did I? That was definitely not a 6...’ Deimos then turned away and said.

‘Well then either you’ve lowered your standard or I improved.’ Lio then said.

‘I think it’s the former.’ Deimos turned back to Lio and kicked him with his left boot, causing him to fall backwards on the grass, laughing. At this juncture, Phobos came running on all fours toward the pair, with Eros following closely behind. Phobos got to them first, and jumped up onto Deimos’ lap. Deimos offered him some scratches on his head which resulted in a string of purrs. Phobos then got up and circled round to Deimos’ back where he noticed the badly scalded skin, to which he immediately began licking the injured flesh.

‘AHH! Fu-...’ Deimos bit his tongue as an intense pain shot up through from his lower back up his spine. Lio sat up straight and reached his hand out to stop Phobos but Deimos raised his palm facing Lio, stopping him. ‘It’s ok, let him...’ Deimos said as he endured the pain. It was only when Phobos began trying to claw his way up Deimos’ back that he had to be stopped as that was agonising. Lio grabbed Phobos on his neck and carried him over to his lap. Eros took a seat in front of Deimos.

‘You feeling better?’ Deimos nodded as he flashed Eros a smile. Deimos then said to both Eros and Lio.

‘Thanks for getting food.’ Eros smiled at Deimos while Lio laughed, pointing at Eros.

‘You should’ve seen Eros, he was dancing with a Barnos!’ Eros then turned and flashed Lio a frown.

‘I wasn’t! Hey, those things are strong!’ Lio waved his hand at Eros, signalling that he was teasing. But Deimos reached his right hand and gave Eros’ left arm a squeeze.

‘Maybe it’s time for a workout?’ Eros blushed at those words. He never had the privilege of working out with Deimos, not even practicing with him, at least back in the Old World. And of course at those words, images of Deimos’ sweaty body was beginning to...

‘That’s a good idea! The three of us could do some exercise tomorrow morning. Maybe the girls could join too!’ Deimos smiled as Lio verbalised his thoughts. Lio then shouted across the camp, ‘Hey Rhen! Rhodes! You guys wanna workout tomorrow morning?’ Rhen leapt into the air and screamed in response.

‘YES! We do!’ Rhodes threw a small rock at Rhen and said.

‘Speak for yourself! I’m not joinin-...’ Rhen ignored Rhodes as she shouted again.

‘We’re both joining!’ Lio smiled as he heard that and turned back to Eros and Deimos.

‘There! Settled, that was easy.’ Lio then started flexing his biceps as he said, ‘It’s been a while since I’ve tested my metal, wonder how much I can still lift.’ Deimos then said.

‘The only thing I need to lift is your fat ass. Which means I really gotta train too...’ Deimos was now flexing too.

‘I’m sure I have no problems lifting you though!’ Lio then lunged forward and carried Deimos, throwing him over his right shoulder while his arms wrapped round his waist, careful not to touch his back.

‘Hey! Put me down!’ Lio then circled the camp with Deimos on his back, as he took the opportunity to give Deimos a few humiliating slaps on the buttocks. As soon as Lio had his fill, he put Deimos down, in front of Eros. Lio then asked.

‘Say, can Eros carry you?’ Deimos then chuckled.

‘I’m sure he can, I’m not that heavy...’ Lio then looked at Eros and said.

‘Go on, have a go!’

‘Uhh...’ Eros then looked at Deimos who stretched his arms out, welcoming him to try. Lio then commented bitterly.

‘Come on, Eros! It’s so rare that Deimos lets you carry him!’ So Eros nervously stood in front of Deimos. Eros then performed a half squat and wrapped his arms around Deimos’ waist. He then stood up, attempting to carry the full weight of Deimos. Deimos was flung sloppily over Eros’ shoulder as he was lifted off the ground. The feeling of Deimos’ skin on his own was causing a very erratic reaction within Eros, causing him to lose focus. Coupled with the overwhelming weight, Eros began losing his balance. Without warning, Eros toppled backwards, throwing Deimos off to the back. Eros and Deimos both landed on their backs against the soft grass, but it still hurt, especially for Deimos.

‘Oof!’ Deimos exhaled forcefully from the sudden impact of the ground against his back.

‘Oww...’ Eros pushed himself up as he regained consciousness from the fall while Lio ran straight to Deimos to help him up. Lio giggled as he asked Deimos.

‘Haha! You alright?’ Deimos stared at Lio with an annoyed expression as he pushed him firmly on the chest, causing him to fall over on the grass as well. As soon as Eros composed himself, he went straight to Deimos and asked.

‘Are you ok?! I’m so sorry...’ Deimos then replied.

‘I’m fine.’ Deimos’ smile as he was talking to Eros disappeared as he turned to Lio who was lying on the grass. He then kicked him in the glutes as he said, ‘I blame this idiot.’ Lio sneaked Deimos a guilty smirk as he gladly took the blow. A bone randomly landed in the middle of the three as they turned to look at the direction where it came from.

'Dinner's ready!' Rhen shouted at the three musketeers as she threw another Barnos bone at them. All this was happening as Rhodes went to fetch Rion and Dr Ena. Soon, everyone was gathered round the fire with food in front of them. Though it was still late afternoon, the sky was beginning to darken from the thick smog emerging from the multiple spewing volcanoes in the vicinity. The hunters were famished after the ordeal with the Bazelgeuse; namely Deimos, Lio and Rhen. Dr Ena started a conversation going round the fire as he asked.

'So how was the fight with the Bazelgeuse? And how's your wound young man?' Dr Ena transitioned his gaze over to Deimos, who was sitting across him, as he asked the second part of his question.

'The wound is fine, I have Rhodes to thank for that.' Deimos replied as he turned to give Rhodes a grateful smile. Lio then continued the conversation by throwing Rhen the same question he asked mid-battle.

'That's right, Rhen, have you fought a Bazelgeuse before? You didn't answer my question when I aske-...'

'When you asked me in the middle of the fucking fight, yeah, you blabbering baboon!' Lio laughed nervously with his left hand at the back of his head. Rhen then continued, 'Bazelgeuses are very common in the east. They fly around like geese, that's where their name actually comes from. And you all know firecrackers were an eastern idea, where do you think we got our inspiration?' The team nodded in unison as they heard Rhen's sharing. Rhen then turned to Lio exclusively and continued, 'And yes, I've faced many Bazels growing up.' Lio enlarged his eyes as he repeated.

'Growing up?! Wha-...' Rhen sniggered as she continued.

'Haiya, what's the worst that could happen? You get blown up into a thousand pieces? And your family has one less mouth to feed? I mean, my parents could always make another kid, it was no big deal. All they needed was a few bottles of beer and a bed…' The team fell silent at Rhen's nonchalant attitude. Rhen then continued while facing Deimos, 'Burns like yours were common. So common that it was treated like a paper cut.' Deimos glared at Rhen while the rest of the team froze in amazement. ‘We loved playing with the scaly pods, used them as a sort of deadly hopscotch game. Loser dies, kinda thing, HAHA!’ Rhen began laughing at her own joke alone while everyone was trying to decipher whether or not she was joking. ‘But I should also probably mention that the ones in the east are much smaller, the one we faced was huge. Normally, I would be able to take one down singlehandedly with relative ease...’ The team continued sharing stories with one another, with Lio sharing his very first hunt with an Anjanath with the team since they were on the topic of scalds. Rion then shared about his first encounter with a Teostra and how unpleasant that was. They chatted the evening away, and soon everyone felt the fatigue creep in. Unlike previously, there were no tents, and so everyone just retreated to their respective areas where they cosied up and prepared for bed. Eros and Lio stayed behind to extinguish the fire and clean up while Deimos sat by his area, meddling with the grass.

‘You wanna speak to him?’ Lio asked as he noticed Eros constantly staring at Deimos.

‘It’s not urgent.’

‘But you do, want to speak with him?’ Lio repeated his question, but with a lighter tone.

‘Well, yeah.’ Lio smiled as he took the burnt wood that was in Eros’ hand.

‘Go ahead, I’ll finish up here.’ Eros turned to look at Lio and was originally hesitant but eventually gave in and approached Deimos.

‘Hey man, can I speak to you for a minute?’ Deimos looked up from his temporary entertainment of plucking grass and looked at Eros.

‘Yup, what is it?’ Eros went up to Deimos and sat beside him before he spoke.

‘It’s about the fight with Bazel, earlier on. Why did you chase me away?’ Deimos frowned at him and asked.

‘I chased you away? When did I do that?’ Eros’ emotions were beginning to surge, but at a manageable level, so he continued speaking.

‘You asked me to follow Rhodes and the rest, instead of allowing me to fight with you guys. I’m wondering why you did that.’ A little bit of frustration could now be seen to ignite in Deimos’ eyes at this point as he replied.

‘Do we really need to talk about something like this? I mean I don’t feel safe splitting our team in half with no hunters in one group. What’s so difficult to appreciate about that?’ Eros then raised his voice.

‘Rion is a hunter isn’t he?!’ Deimos’ rage then got the better of him as he overpowered Eros’ voice.

‘So you expect an old man to defend the group?! Stop taking everything so personally and look at the big picture for once Eros! Not everything’s about you!’ Deimos stared directly into Eros’ eyes as he said this. Eros was clearly stricken with both fear and rage, with his eyes beginning to water uncontrollably. Deimos remained silent but did not loosen his gaze on Eros, sending a very clear message of his anger. Lio just arrived from cleaning up and stood in between the two and asked.

‘How are you two doin-... Hold on, what’s going on? You guys alright?’ Lio exchanged glances periodically from Deimos to Eros and back to Deimos. Eros didn’t utter a word and neither did Deimos, so Lio squat down and turned to Deimos asking, ‘You guys alrigh-...’

‘Ask him, I don’t exactly know what his issue is honestly. He came here to ask me something, and then muttered something ridiculous and now he’s fucking cryin-...’

‘Woah woah ok ok, calm down.’ Lio then turned to Eros and was about to place his hand over his shoulder but Eros stood up and left. He walked over to a small patch of grass not too far from them and lay down, his sobbing still audible from where Lio and Deimos were. Lio then turned back to Deimos and asked, ‘What in the hell happened?’ Deimos turned to Lio and said.

‘He was upset about me sending him off to protect Rhodes and the rest.’

‘Ok, and why was he upset?’ Deimos then began raising his voice again.

‘I don’t fucking know man! He’s under the delusion that your father is capable of defending them when he shouldn’t, and so all I wanted was for at least another hunter to make sure everything’s alright. Apparently even that made him upset.’ Lio smiled as he heard this, which irritated Deimos. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘The two of you...’

‘Tsk!’ Deimos pushed Lio in the face. Lio got back up and regained his balance as he continued.

‘Eros is a sensitive guy, he’s probably just affected by the way you spoke to him. I mean he’s not unreasonable right?’ Deimos remained silent but kept his gaze on Lio, signalling him that he was still listening to him. ‘Anyway, you guys shouldn’t leave it like this, no point losing sleep over a small misunderstanding.’ Deimos let out a heavy sigh as he walked over to Eros.

‘Hey buddy...’ Deimos squat down and placed his hand on Eros’ left shoulder. He could hear him sobbing, so he pushed him up to sit down and face him. ‘Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you but you must know what I was doing when I asked you to join the rest instead of fighting with us.’ Eros wiped his tears before speaking.

‘I... I understand, it’s just... It hurts bad enough that... I don’t get to... spend much time with you... Experiencing you chase me off that way... It just... hurts...’ Eros then continued sobbing after mustering all the strength he had to string that sentence together. Deimos didn’t realise the hurt he had caused Eros, and so pulled him in for an embrace. The feeling of Deimos’ skin and body heat was enough to instantly calm Eros down and stop the sobbing, though the tightness in his chest was still present. Eros was careful not to touch Deimos’ back, so he hooked his arms underneath Deimos’ armpits, and upward toward his shoulders. The two remained in this position for awhile before Eros pushed Deimos away from the hug and said, ‘I’m fine, really, and I know why you did what you did, I’m just really in a state where I’m not objective and...’ Eros stopped and looked at Deimos in the eyes as he plastered a weak smile before continuing, ‘I’ll be ok, really.’ Deimos looked at Eros, sceptical at first, but eventually relented and returned back to Lio.

‘Everything settled?’ Deimos, still looking at Eros, replied.

‘Yeah, think so...’ Lio then grabbed onto Deimos’ arm and pulled him in violently, causing Deimos to fall onto Lio.

‘Good, cause now it’s my turn...’


	35. Haunting Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mild mature content

Deimos found his face in Lio’s upper chest after the violent pull from his strong arms. Deimos pushed himself away from Lio’s torso and looked up at him, frowning.

‘Your turn?’ Lio gave Deimos an eager smile as he said.

‘Yeah, my turn, to talk!’ Deimos rolled his eyes and walked away from Lio, sitting himself down on the grass. Lio went over to sit by his left side and said.

‘Hey, you kinda yelled at me so I think I deserve that much...’ Deimos chuckled to himself after hearing what Lio said. He turned to face him and pinched Lio’s right cheek.

‘Ow!’

‘I’m sorry I yelled at you...’ Lio replied while rubbing his now red cheek.

‘It’s alright, but I wanna know what caused it.’ Deimos looked away from Lio as he continued.

‘It’s my usual bullshit about nature Lio, nothing new.’ Lio remained silent, hoping to hear more from Deimos. ‘I can accept self-defence, but somehow that wasn’t it. I mean these creatures know when they’re beat and they will retreat, it’s in their nature...’

‘Not for Bazel, it isn’t...’ Deimos and Lio turned toward the third voice that came from behind them. Rhen walked toward them and sat down in front of the two as she continued. ‘Listen hot shot, I know where you stand when it comes to hunting these fluffies but as you said, self-defence is our priority. And I won’t hesitate to choose any of you over anything that lives out there in the wil-...’ Deimos then interrupted her saying.

‘Yeah, yeah I know. Force of habit, that’s all it is...’ Rhen flashed Lio an unamused look and he returned it with a mildly worried expression. But seeing as Deimos was clearly exhausted, the two decided to leave this conversation for another time.

‘Alright, you love birds have a good night. See you guys for training in the morning.’ Rhen stood up and left as quickly as she intruded. Lio inched closer to Deimos and nudged him on his left shoulder using his right. Deimos turned to look at Lio the moment he felt the nudge and just stared at him. Lio flashed Deimos a gentle smile, hoping to lighten the mood a little. Deimos didn’t really react to the smile, but kept his gaze on Lio. Just as Lio was about to break the silence, Deimos beat him to it.

‘So did you manage to speak to your dad?’

‘Yeah I did.’

‘And how did it go?’ This question caused a brief laughter from Lio.

‘It was... Interesting at first, quite heated actually. He brought Kly into the picture, so it really popped my fuse. He was about to bring you in as well, but I warned him not to.’ Deimos raised his brows when he heard that.

‘Kly? Me? What do we have to do with anything?’

‘Exactly, that’s what I asked him. And he couldn’t give me an answer, so I just told him to back-off.’ This made Deimos smile, this sort of defensive behaviour his partner had over him did create a warm sensation in his chest, it was a nice feeling. Lio was glad to see this change in facial expression as he continued. ‘I sort of reminded him how he’s the only family I have left and I really want him to be a father to me rather than just being a commander all the time. And his recklessness really doesn’t help, you know the thought of losing him. Gosh, not sure if I’ll be able to deal with it...’ Deimos’ heart was with Lio, he knew what that felt like. In the midst of Lio saying all of this, Deimos took a quick glance at Phobos who was keeping Eros company. He too, was the only real family he had left. Lio placed his left hand on Deimos’ right cheek and said.

‘You ok? What are you looking at?’ Deimos broke away from his daze and returned his attention back to Lio.

‘I was just looking at Phobos after what you said. He’s the only family I have left, so I kinda know how you feel.’ Lio smiled when he heard this, but his chest warmed up as Deimos continued speaking. ‘But we make our own family. I mean you, me, this team? Not related by blood but probably just as well, I would give up my life for you guys anytime.’ Deimos said this as he leaned backwards, with his arms stretched to the back, supporting his weight. Lio rested his gaze on Deimos as he leaned back, still maintaining the smile on his face.

‘Gosh...’ Lio muttered to himself. Deimos heard it though it was soft.

‘What?’

‘You’re gorgeous man...’ Deimos’ face was now turning as red as his back. Lio now crept forward on all fours, placing his face directly in front of Deimos’. ‘And you’re a surprisingly good sweet talker.’ Deimos plastered a cheeky smile on his face as he replied.

‘Surprising?’ Lio was now on top of Deimos, with his four limbs on the ground beside Deimos, their bodies close but not touching.

‘For someone so frank, straightforward, boring...’ Deimos’ smile rapidly vanished when he heard that last adjective.

‘Excuse me, what?’ Deimos then placed his right hand over Lio’s face, pushing him back. Lio got back up and crawled back towards Deimos saying.

‘Ok ok, not boring. Eccentric!’ Deimos gave Lio a cautious stare but decided to let it go. Lio then lay down on his right side, facing Deimos, as he traced his hand along Deimos’ left arm that was still stretched backwards and supporting his weight. The veins on his muscular arms really complemented his frame, pleasing another sense other than that of sight as Lio traced his hand along the arm. Lio loved caressing Deimos’ arm and feeling both the veins and the muscles together with the fact that the skin wrapped around the package was a sexy tanned brown, something clearly up his alley. Deimos was more than aware of this, and he often allowed Lio the pleasure. Besides, feeling Lio’s strong grip was a sensation he too enjoyed, though he was not picky as to where he felt his touch. Lio’s hands traced upward, past the forearm and now onto Deimos’ bulging triceps. He slid his hand round to the back to feel the firm protrusion of the rear muscles as he gave it a gentle squeeze. Deimos couldn’t help himself as he asked.

‘Enjoying yourself are we?’ Lio broke out of his trance and apologised.

‘Ohh sorry, I forgot to ask if you minded me molesting you. Couldn’t really control myself.’ Deimos laughed as he nodded at Lio, giving him the green light to continue. As Lio continued, Deimos continued speaking.

‘Say, Lio.’ Lio replied while circling his hand from Deimos’ triceps to his biceps.

‘Hmm...?’

‘I realised I haven’t really asked you if you were a top or a bottom...’ Lio turned his attention now to Deimos as he said.

‘I’m not really sure what I am actually. Why do you ask? You wanna try something?’ Deimos chuckled to himself as he said.

‘Nah, not really. It’s just that most of the sex I’ve heard of usually involves penetration. And considering that we’ve had sex quite a number of times, I was just worried that you didn’t dare to try. Hell, Eros and I went straight to that.’ Lio perked his eyebrow as he flashed a smile.

‘Yeah well but he was doing all the work right? Bet you didn’t even know what was going on.’ Deimos frowned at Lio but accepted some of it as truth. Lio then continued, ‘To be honest, penetrative sex doesn’t really appeal to me. I’m ok with it, just not crazy over it.’ Deimos then asked.

‘So then what do you enjoy?’ Lio turned to give Deimos a cheeky grin.

‘How about you make a guess? Having had a few intimate moments with me already.’ Deimos looked away and tried to recall the times they had sex.

‘Woah, I don’t know man. The only thing I can remember consistently is you making a mess every single damn time.’ Lio plastered an unamused face as he heard that, though guilty of that fetish of smearing semen all over his lover’s body. Deimos then continued, ‘Blowjobs? Handjobs? I don’t know... You basically rub your dick all over me. I don’t really keep track dude.’ Lio laughed when he heard that.

‘Is it my fault that you’re so damn sexy?’ Lio licked his lips before he continued. ‘I just find it natural to rub my penis all over you, as weird as it sounds.’ Deimos maintained his frown as he replied.

‘Yeah, flattered bro.’ Lio then sat up as he said.

‘What can I say? You please me on so many levels. I don’t struggle with my body, I just let nature do whatever it wants.’ Deimos was actually glad that he could turn his partner on so much, especially since Lio turned him on equally much. He enjoyed the sight and touch of toned muscles, and while Deimos is technically considered to be muscular, he sees himself as lean more than anything. Lio is buff, and so it fit his bill quite nicely. Lio then transitioned to the next topic rather abruptly as he asked, ‘How long is your dick?’ Deimos perked his eyebrow as he heard that question and answered.

‘I don’t know, I don’t measure it...’ Lio flashed a look of disappointment as he replied.

‘Aww... I wanted to compare. Mines about seven!’

‘Centimetres?’ Lio flashed Deimos an irritated frown as he replied.

‘Inches, you fuck!’ Deimos burst out laughing after hearing Lio’s response. Deimos was already shocked when he first saw Lio’s penis full erected, and he knew it was larger than usual. But now that he heard the actual length in inches, he was even more shocked.

‘Dude that’s huge...’ Lio flashed yet another unamused face.

‘You speak as if you’ve never seen my penis before.’ Deimos broke from his shocked expression back to his irritated look.

‘I mean isn’t five like the norm? That’s what I heard at least.’ Lio smiled as he stared at Deimos’ coil.

‘Yeah it’s about there. And yours is definitely longer than five.’ Deimos was a little amazed at how observant and sure Lio was about his rod. ‘But size isn’t everything, your load matters too.’ Deimos then interrupted Lio’s conversation by asking.

‘Why are we talking about this?’ Lio laughed as he replied.

‘I don’t know, just talking I guess.’ Deimos chuckled as he heard Lio’s calm response. Lio now lay on his back with his right arm straightened on the ground as he patted his right chest with his left hand. ‘You wanna rest on me tonight?’ Deimos stared at the welcoming sight with Lio’s body creating a nice makeshift bed. He gave in to temptation as he snuggled into Lio’s arms, resting his left cheek on Lio’s right chest. Deimos wrapped his right arm round Lio’s body, all while keeping his back facing upwards to prevent coming in contact with any surface. Lio carefully placed his right hand on the back of Deimos’ head, as the two lovers fell comfortably asleep.

‘He’s not going to make it...’ A foreign and unfamiliar male voice was speaking in the background. Deimos struggled to open his eyes, but only managed to open a little gap to see very rough silhouettes standing around him. There was a very bright light hanging above him and he could smell the scent of burning candles. He felt weak and frail, an extremely caged feeling that was both maddening and frustrating. Though unclear, Deimos could see that there were three figures standing round him as he was lying down on some sort of table. A second unfamiliar male voice now emerged from his left.

‘Do whatever you can, please!’

‘His brother...’ This time, a familiar voice was heard, a female voice, one that Deimos had not heard in a very long while, screamed.

‘NO!’

‘NO!’ Deimos sat up and unconsciously shouted as he returned back to reality. He found himself sitting up and back in camp. He took some time to regain consciousness, seeing the rest of his team, still sound asleep. It was still the wee hours of the day where the sky was still pitch dark. Deimos pressed his right palm against his forehead, trying his hardest to focus on the strange dream he had just encountered. He rarely had nightmares, and even when he did, they usually did not come in such detail. In fact it was so pounding that it was beginning to give Deimos a headache.

‘Hey... You alright?’ A soft and weak voice emerged from behind Deimos. He turned around to see Lio sitting up with only one eye opened, still half asleep. Deimos reached back and held Lio’s right hand as he said.

‘Yeah I’m fine. Go back to sleep.’ Lio now opened both his eyes and persisted.

‘Why are you awake?’

‘Bad dream. Go back to sleep.’ Lio disobediently inched forward to Deimos, resting his chin on Deimos’ left shoulder, careful not to press his body against his back.

‘Only if you join me...’ Deimos smiled and replied.

‘You big baby...’ Deimos turned around and pushed Lio to lie down as he rested his head back on Lio’s right chest. Lio fell asleep almost instantly, with his hand still on Deimos’ head. Deimos couldn’t fall back to sleep however, the strange dream still replaying in his mind. The slow heartbeat coming from Lio’s chest did eventually calm Deimos down as he shut his eyes, hoping to squeeze in a few more hours of much needed rest.

Deimos’ woke up from a sudden push against his nose. Soon, he started feeling a more solid pressure pressing against it.

‘Lio...’ After that groan, the pressure didn’t go away. So Deimos groaned louder.

‘Lio...!’ He then started feeling ticklish, causing him to open his eyes. Greeting him was Phobos’ large round dark red eyes that were uncomfortably close due to their touching noses. A smile emerged from Deimos’ face as Lio woke up from the sudden commotion. Lio said as he rubbed his eyes with his left hand.

‘Yup...?’ Lio tried sitting up but felt a foreign weight on his left chest, causing him to look down and see Phobos now lying there, staring directly at Deimos. ‘Hey there little guy!’ Lio transitioned his left hand over to Phobos’ head, providing a steady stream of morning scratches.

‘Prrrr...’ Phobos purred in delight upon receiving the sensational treatment.

‘Why was I not invited to this orgy?!’ A disruptive voice emerged from Deimos’ right as he saw Rhen charging at them. Lio instinctively stopped scratching Phobos and used his hands to hold onto his two passengers tightly as he witnessed the charging female toward his vulnerable state. Rhen threw herself over Deimos, lying on top of his back, pushing his face flat into Lio’s chest, causing him to press his lips against Lio’s nipple. Rhen pushed herself forward to face Lio as she flashed a cheeky smile at him. Lio returned the smile as he commented calmly.

‘I think you’re killing my boyfriend... You mind? He starting to bite my... AHHH!’ The sudden surge of pain caused Lio to push both Deimos and Rhen off of his chest. The both of them fell backwards, landing on their buttocks. Deimos turned to glare at Rhen, as Rhen insensitively said.

‘Why did you bite his nipple?! Were you hoping to get milk? Here, I can give you some!’ Rhen started pushing down her bra, revealing her large breasts, as she pressed them against Deimos’ face.

‘RHEN! Can you please fucking stop...’ Deimos pushed the boob away from his face forcefully as he looked forward to see Lio laughing at the two of them. He noticed Lio’s left nipple turning a little red from his instinctive bite. Deimos crawled back toward Lio and placed his left hand over his chest saying. ‘Sorry about that...’ Lio continued laughing as he said.

‘Don’t worry about it, it really woke me up though...’ Phobos, after witnessing the commotion, started looking at Lio’s other nipple and went in for a bite as well.

‘PHOBOS!’ Lio squinted his eyes in pain as a similar sensation was now felt coming from his left side. Deimos quickly grabbed Phobos by the neck and squeezed it hard to force Phobos to release his bite. ‘What’s wrong with you?!’ Deimos reprimanded. Lio’s face was plastering an extremely uncomfortable yet entertained look with everything that was happening as he said.

‘It’s alright, really. Though I’ve never been bitten on my nipples before. Oww...’ Lio started rubbing both his nipples with his hands, trying to ease the pain. Eros arrived timely at the scene of Lio soothing his nipples as he greeted.

‘Good morning!’ Deimos and Lio looked up at Eros and flashed him a smile.

‘Morning!’ Lio responded. Deimos nodded at him instead of giving a verbal response. ‘Did you sleep well?’ Lio asked.

‘Yeah! Phobos made a good bolster.’ Deimos turned to his feline companion as he muttered.

‘At least he’s good for something...’ Phobos flashed him an irritated frown as he tried to claw his brother in the face. Eros noticed Lio’s excessive rubbing across his chest and asked.

‘Pain in your chest?’

‘Hmm...? Ohh no, I was bitten.’ Eros’ eyes enlarged as he enquired further.

‘Bitten? By what?’ Lio turned to look nervously at the two brothers sitting beside him.

‘Umm...’ Eros traced Lio’s gaze to Phobos and Deimos, who were looking fairly uncomfortable. Deimos then said shakily.

‘It was a umm... Accident...’ Eros, still a little blur, began staring blankly at both Deimos and Lio.

‘You bit his...’ Lio burst out laughing as he said.

‘I know right? Tsk, Deimos you naughty little...’ Deimos then quickly rebutted.

‘This is Rhen’s fault guys...’ Rhen was sitting down digging her nose as she suddenly noticed the influx of attention on her, as she shouted in annoyance.

‘What are you guys staring at? You want some?!’ Rhen then flicked the booger that she dug out from her nose at the three of them. They quickly got up on their feet and bolted away in different directions as the yellow particle flew towards their direction. Eros approached Deimos and asked.

‘How’s your back?’ Deimos reached round with his hand to touch the skin and found that it had healed significantly, though not entirely.

‘It’s much better, all thanks to Rhodes.’ Deimos paused for awhile before saying, ‘Listen, if you wanna continue our conversation from last night...’ Eros shook his head and said.

‘No need, I was just being stupid. Sorry, I let my emotions get the better of me.’ The two smiled at each other, glad that their misunderstanding was resolved. At this juncture, Eros noticed Deimos’ left leg.

‘Is your left leg alright?’ Deimos looked down after hearing Eros’ question.

‘Hmm...? Ohh right, yeah it’s fine.’

‘It looks bad.’ Deimos put his finger over his lips as he whispered to Eros.

‘Not so loud, I don’t want Rhodes fretting over me anymore. Just leave it, I’m ok, really.’ Eros chuckled when he saw how terrified Deimos was of Rhodes, he could totally understand why as well. Deimos signalled Lio that they should start their workout soon, so Lio walked over to Rhodes who was still lying down on the soft grass, sound asleep. He squat down and tapped her gently on her shoulder, asking.

‘Hey, you joining us?’ Rhodes started mumbling to herself before saying sloppily.

‘Five more minutes...’

‘No, if you’re joining us, let’s go. Now.’ Rhodes started grumbling, making strange and irritable noises. Lio got up and said before leaving, ‘Ok, I take that as a no then. See you late-...’

‘What do you mean five more minutes you whore!’ Rhen threw her entire body over Rhodes, causing her to wake up instantly. Rhen then continued to tickle her at the side and all over her body in a rather rough manner.

‘RHEN! I fucking hate you!’ Rhen got up on her feet, panting, as she turned to Lio and said.

‘There, awake. Let’s go.’ Lio’s face was that of shock and amazement, as he turned back to look at Rhodes who had a head of messy hair, but very awake now. Rhodes got up and gave Lio an irritated look before following him over to commence their workout.

‘Alright! So what we doing?’ Rhen said while jumping on the spot, clearly excited.

‘Go easy on the rest of us ok? Not all of us are as buff as you two...’ Eros commented gently. Rhen then turned to Eros and said.

‘You pussy.’ Rhen then turned to the two muscular figures in front of her, saying arrogantly, ‘I bet I can do whatever you guys can do!’ Deimos raised his eyebrows sceptically while Lio raised his in amusement.

‘We can do some push-ups, simple arm training. Then we can plank, to train our core. Unfortunately for cardio, I don’t like the idea of running around or splitting up the team, so...’ Lio turned to look at Deimos before finishing his sentence, hoping that he could give him an alternative. Deimos then finished his sentence saying.

‘Mountain climbers then.’ Eros rolled his eyes, clearly not a fan of that exercise.

‘Huh?’ Rhodes blurted out in confusion. Deimos replied saying.

‘Alternate leg thrust.’

‘Sha-?’ Rhen tilted her head in confusion now as well. Deimos rolled his eyes and said as he went down.

‘Let me show you.’ Deimos assumed the push-up position; with his feet together and legs straight, he arched his body upward with his buttocks in the air. His arms were shoulder-width apart and hands on the ground. He lifted his right leg, bending it such that his right knee touched his right chest, before stretching it back to its original position. The moment his right feet landed on the ground, his left feet mirroring his right, he repeated this motion a few more times, demonstrating to the rest how the exercise was done.

‘So... Like running on the spot then?’ Rhodes clarified. Deimos nodded as he stood up panting slightly from the demonstration.

‘So how many reps are we doing?’ Eros asked cautiously. Deimos turned to look at Lio, who was smiling casually at him. Deimos then turned to Eros and said.

‘We could do forty push-ups and forty mountain climbers.’ Eros’ expression didn’t change as he continued to ask.

‘And the plank?’ Deimos paused to give it some thought, before saying.

‘Two minutes?’ Lio’s eyes widened as he pushed Deimos’ left shoulder backwards, causing Deimos to turn and face him.

‘Two?!’ Lio asked anxiously. Deimos nodded before slapping Lio’s abs saying.

‘You’re getting fat, Lio, come on.’ Lio sulked at that comment and pushed Deimos’ hand away from his belly.

‘So forty push-ups, forty mountain climbers and two minutes plank. Sounds easy enough.’ Rhodes replied arrogantly. Eros turned to her and said.

‘I don’t think that’s it...’ Eros then turned back to Deimos and asked. ‘That’s not it right?’ Deimos smiled at the two of them before saying.

‘That would be one set, I was thinking of doing four sets.’ Rhodes then exclaimed.

‘FOUR?! Wha-...’ Rhen cupped Rhodes’ mouth and shouted.

‘LET’S GET TO IT THEN! WHOOO!’ Rhen immediately got down on all fours as she quickly started on her set. The rest following shortly behind, careful not to lag too far behind. Rhen began quickly, pumping her body up and down like a worm, unconscious that she was not keeping her body straight. That being said, her strength was nothing to laugh about. While her form was not perfect, she kept the pace of her push-ups relatively consistent as she finished her forty reps first. Lio was not far behind, as he pumped his body weight up and down with ease with the help of his large muscular arms. The contracting and relaxing of his biceps and triceps, allowing his heavy body to move in a controlled fashion, resisting the fall of his body weight just before it touched the ground. Eros was the next one to finish, his light body weight making each push-up significantly easier. This was not to say Eros was weak, in fact his arms were respectably muscular as well. Deimos was not far behind, but his lack of speed was made up by his near perfect form. He was conscious not to get too hung up on speed and focusing more on his posture. In fact, push-ups that were done slower stressed the muscles in the arms more thoroughly, making it a better workout. Each descent was controlled, and Deimos did not allow his body to just drop to gravity. He resisted the direction his body went every step of the way, ensuring that his arms constantly felt the stress. This made his biceps and triceps swell larger than usual, which were already massive, even though not nearly as large as Lio’s. Rhodes was unsurprisingly the last, and with the worst form, clearly inexperienced with exercise. The moment Deimos was done, he recovered slowly into a kneeling position, looking at Rhodes. Rhen then started shouting at her.

‘PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT! Work it like a slut!’ The three guys frowned at Rhen, but did not say anything due to their heavy panting from the push-ups. Once Deimos caught his breath, he spoke up.

‘Shut up Rhen. Rhodes, stop if you need to, no need to complete forty.’ Rhodes shook her head as she continued diligently. Each subsequent push-up sloppier than the previous one. Eventually, Rhodes finished her fortieth rep, as her trembling arms gave way, causing her to fall flat on the ground. Rhen then shouted again.

‘NEXT!’ Deimos looked at Rhodes and said.

‘Take a break Rhodes.’ Rhodes flashed a thumbs-up while still lying flat on the ground. The four of them now assumed the familiar push-up position, but tucked their heads in this time as they arched their backs upward. They then started their forty reps of mountain climbers. Once again, Rhen started off first and was burning through the reps the quickest. This time, with Deimos following closely behind her. Eros and Lio were lagging behind, but were not in any way slow. Eventually, Deimos surpassed Rhen and finished first, with her finishing shortly after. Once Lio and Eros finished, they tumbled to the side panting. Rhen was panting as well, but refused to lift her gaze from Deimos as she flashed him a smile.

‘What?’ Deimos said under his breath. Rhen offered no reply, but pointed two of her fingers directly at her own eyes, before turning them to point towards Deimos. This caused him to frown in confusion. Deimos turned to the two other guys and said, ‘No rest between reps guys.’ Deimos then went down to a planking position; where his feet were planted side-by-side with his body straight at an elevated angle, similar to that of a push-up position. But this time his elbows were bent, resting his body weight along the pair of forearms that were in contact with the ground. The team would now assume this position for two minutes, careful not to bend or relax any part of their body during this period. Initially, this was easy. But after the first thirty seconds or so, the core began to burn, the burn spread to the lower back, and by the forty-fifth second, the arms would receive a similar treatment as well. The shoulders would begin trembling by the first minute, and that marked the halfway point.

‘FUCK!’ Rhen screamed in agony as her body pleaded for relief. Eros and Lio were shaking as well, sweat starting to trickle from their foreheads and down their necks. Deimos’ back and arms were beginning to coat in a layer of sweat as well. After what seemed like an eternity, the team heard the blissful words come out of Deimos’ mouth.

‘Five, four, three, two, one, and down!’ At those words, everyone relaxed their arms and fell flat onto the ground, exhausted. At this, Rhodes recovered from her exhaustion saying.

‘Ok I’m back guys, what’s next?’ Eros looked up at her, squinting as he said.

‘Push-ups.’

‘You mean a sixth fleet?’ Phil asked in confusion as a junior hunter came to him with a peculiar report from the Old World.

‘No, sir. I don’t think it’s a fleet. It’s just one ship.’ Phil asked impatiently.

‘Why the hell are they sending in one ship? Are there any more details?’ The junior hunter handed Phil the report to read for himself.

‘... Zorah Magdaros... rare opportunity... to empower our race? What in Kulu’s nutsack is this?!’ Phil called for an immediate council meeting to discuss this strange and intriguing message from the hunter’s guild back in the Old World.

‘So, does anyone have any idea what this report means?’ One of the scholars replied.

‘Just purely from the report, we know that the guild intends to send a group of specialised hunters to come over here to assist us.’ Phil frowned at this as he asked.

‘Assist us? With what?’ The scholar began shaking his head as he said.

‘It’s not stated here. But this is very strange...’ The quartermaster then added.

‘Strange indeed, the guild usually sends fleets, not singular ships. And what’s this about “empowering our race”? What does Zorah have to do with empowering us?’ The commission was beginning to miss Rion and his leadership. It wasn’t because he always had the answers, but because he always knew what to do when he didn’t. Unknown to when the squad will return, the council knew they had to do whatever they can at this point to manage this situation. The table was in the midst of deciphering the report, and what it could possibly mean, when all of a sudden, one of the scholars made an interesting observation.

‘Hang on a minute’, then everyone around the table fell silent as they turned to look at what the scholar had to say. The scholar looked up at Phil and asked, ‘When we get orders from the guild, who is the one issuing it?’ The council members started chattering amongst themselves as Phil confidently replied.

‘Our chief, Ranus, of course.’ An irritated tone could then be sensed in Phil’s voice as he said, ‘This report is no different isn’t it? Ranus signed it as usual!’ The scholar then corrected Phil saying.

‘Ohh Ranus signed it, yes. But look who issued the order.’ Everyone gathered round the report once again to see a faded, but legible name at the bottom of the scroll that read: Phaestus.


	36. Power Struggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘Phaestus?! Since when has the guild ever entertained that lunatic?’ Phil raised his voice in anger as he saw the name written at the bottom of the scroll. The council was beginning to chatter loudly upon seeing that name, and for good reason. Phaestus was an extremist, and was in-charge of equipping its hunters with weapons that had a sole purpose of killing. While his role was crucial, it could be said that Phaestus had a little too much passion for his position in the guild, for his drive to manufacture weapons capable of mass destruction was a serious possibility. He possessed a lust for violence that caused huge amounts of fear and panic to others around him. The guild master, Ranus, is not overly fond of having Phaestus within the ranks of the guild, however, his hands are tied for two main reasons. Apart from being a weapons specialist, Phaestus was also a magnificent strategist, and he has gotten the guild out of many tough situations in the past. This had not only proved his worth to the guild, but his exigency as well. And secondly, Phaestus happens to be his brother-in law. While Ranus is fully aware of Phaestus’ potential and thirst for destruction, he has yet to witness any real crime committed by him, and so refuses to pass judgement on pure speculation. Even so, Ranus is not blind to the potential dangers his war advisor poses, and so makes it a point to limit the need to seek his counsel. This report, therefore, was unsurprisingly causing a great deal of worry to the commission.

‘So what do we do now?’ Phil looked up and addressed the council saying.

‘Now, we wait.’

‘Three... Two... One... and down!’ The squad crashed down simultaneously as their arms gave way to the tormenting two minute plank. They had just finished their fourth and final set, leaving them panting, sweaty and exhausted. The five of them lay side-by-side, forming a circle, with Deimos and Lio lying beside each other. Deimos reached his left hand over to brush his knuckles over Lio’s now firm and tensed up abs.

‘That’s much better...’ Lio flung his right hand over to Deimos’ coil and gave it a firm squeeze, feeling a hardened rod inside. Deimos shot up quickly and hit Lio’s hand away, glaring directly at him. Lio smirked at him and said.

‘You touch me on my hard abs, I touch you on your hard dic-...’ Deimos lunged forward on top of Lio, cupping his mouth with his right hand. Lio continued speaking as the inaudible muffled noises continued emerging from his mouth. With Deimos now seated on top of him, Lio was gladly enjoying the view. His hands twitched with excitement as they felt an uncontrollable pull toward the fine specimen in front of them. He used his hands to push Deimos’ sweaty body back, causing Deimos' to release his grip on Lio's mouth. Lio bent both his legs and tucked his feet inward, allowing Deimos to lean back on his thighs. The two of them interlocked their fingers as they held each other’s hands, staring at each other. Rhen noticed this and looked over at Rhodes. Rhodes shook her head and said.

‘Don’t you fucking dar-... OOF!’ Rhen climbed and sat on top of Rhodes, but was bouncing up and down on her now sore abs. Rhodes was trying very hard to throw Rhen off but was not nearly strong enough. Rhodes then desperately shouted at Eros for help, ‘Er...os...! HE...LP!’ Eros got up and saw Rhen pounding her buttocks on Rhodes’ abdomen. He got up quickly and rushed over. Before he could do anything, however, Rhen turned to him menacingly and said.

‘Don’t touch me, pussy foot or I’ll shove my foot in your pussy!’ Eros frowned at that comment and replied.

‘But I don’t have a puss-...’

‘Then I’ll shove it up your asshol-...’ Before she could finish, she felt a strong push, throwing her off of Rhodes. Eros helped Rhodes up while Rhen was distracted. Rhen got up to see Deimos standing in front of her, with his arms folded. Rhen flashed a seductive smile as she traced her finger along Deimos’ shoulder, up his neck and resting it on his lips as she said. ‘Looks like breakfast is served...!’ Rhen was about to advance when a large fair-skinned palm appeared in front of her, colliding with her face and preventing her from getting closer. She retreated a bit to see Lio standing behind Deimos, wrapping one arm round his neck, and using the other hand to stop her.

‘Get your own breakfast, Rhen.’ Lio then transitioned his left hand down to Deimos’ waist, pulling him closer as the two men turned to look at each other. ‘This one’s mine...’ Rhen squealed as she said.

‘Why can’t we all share?! There’s more than enough to go around!’ Lio now pushed Deimos behind him and said.

‘Too bad, he’s mine.’ Eros then joined the conversation and said.

‘How about me? I want some too!’ Lio turned to smile at Eros and said.

‘Yeah, you can have some!’ Rhen then screamed.

‘No fair! All you faggots get a bite but I don’t!’ Lio frowned at her and said.

‘What did you just call us?!’ Rhen shouted.

‘FAGGOTS!’ Lio then responded.

‘Why you little shi-...’ Lio bolted forward toward Rhen, who ran off, not too keen on being pinned by Lio. Throughout this whole conversation, Deimos was just standing there, feeling rather uncomfortable with the way they were talking about him as if he was a piece of meat. He now found himself standing alone with Eros, who was finding it increasingly difficult to not stare at Deimos’ tan, sweaty body. Deimos soon took notice, and addressed it asking.

‘Is... something wrong?’ Eros shook his head, still staring at Deimos’ body. Deimos looked down at his own body, trying to find something that was amiss, but couldn’t find anything. He returned to Eros’ face, who was still transfixed. Slowly, Deimos started to realise what was running through Eros’ head.

‘You know you can, if you want to.’ At those words, Eros broke from his trance and looked at Deimos in the eyes saying.

‘What? Can what?’ Deimos chuckled and said.

‘Have a piece? Lio said you could, so help yourself!’ Eros began blushing as Deimos continued speaking in code, unsure of whether they were even referring to the same thing. Deimos rolled his eyes at Eros’ hesitation as he reached out to grab Eros’ left hand and placed it on his warm sweaty abs. Eros’ eyes dilated at the sensation of the moist skin that was resonating with the mild panting and slow heavy heartbeat. Eros’ own heartbeat began rising as his hands registered this new and erotic sensation. Deimos then helped Eros as he pushed his hand to slide upward along his body up to his chest, where Deimos’ strong heartbeat was more easily felt. Deimos rested his hand here momentarily, looking for any visual cues from Eros’ facial expression. Eros was still in a little bit of a shock as Deimos steered his hand around his body, not knowing exactly what to feel in this situation. His trance was broken as he heard Deimos say. ‘So do we go left, right or up?’ Eros was initially confused with Deimos’ question but caught up quickly. However, before he could answer, Lio said.

‘How about down?’ Deimos turned to see Lio standing next to them, and Rhen piggybacked on him. Rhen then shouted.

‘Let me touch! Let me touch! I WANT TO TOUCH!’ Lio rolled his eyes at the two guys and mouthed a ‘sorry’ before carrying Rhen away. Eros then turned his attention back to Deimos and nervously said.

‘Up...?’ Deimos smiled as he brought Eros’ hand up along his neck. Deimos closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly as he exhaled. This sight was turning Eros on so much, he did not expect Deimos to behave in this manner. Deimos brought Eros’ hand to his right cheek, before kissing his palm gently and smiling at him. Deimos now noticed Eros’ right hand groping his coil, clearly trying to conceal his erection. Deimos sighed as his smile disappeared and he loosened his grip on Eros’ hand. Deimos looked away momentarily, and noticed that Rhodes had already gone back to camp, while Lio and Rhen were nowhere to be seen. As he turned his attention back to Eros, Eros was uncomfortably close to his face. Deimos instinctively leaned back and started taking a few steps back until he collided his back against a tree, preventing his retreat. Eros forcefully pressed his lips onto Deimos’ and started biting and kissing Deimos sloppily and aggressively. Deimos was trying to speak but Eros was occupying his lips, preventing him from speaking. While Deimos could have easily overpowered Eros to stop this, a part of him was happy that this was happening. Eros was starting to get rough, as he began wrapping his arms around Deimos and squeezing random parts of his body rather firmly. Deimos was not exactly fond of this but some part of him was urging him to just go with it. Eros was already beginning to undress, and quite quickly I might add, as he continued caressing Deimos’ body, after being deprived of it for so long. Eros then pushed Deimos away from the tree and on to the ground, laying him down flat on his back. Eros sat on top of Deimos and removed the last of his clothes, revealing his nude body and now fully erected penis that was staring directly at Deimos. Deimos was beginning to feel his body weaken as well, but a part of him was still resisting, as he opened his mouth to say.

‘Eros... Wai...’ Deimos’ sentence was interrupted as Eros lunged forward and shoved his penis into Deimos’ mouth. He began thrusting erratically and quickly, causing Deimos to gag quite a few times. Deimos was genuinely concerned at this point, for he was not really into rough sex. But he did feel undeniably guilty for this, and so he decided to pay the price; Eros’ pleasure, at his expense, at least this one time. As the guilt began swelling in Deimos’ chest, so did the penis that was now intruding his mouth. Eros’ thick shaft was reaching uncomfortably close to his throat, so he placed his hands on Eros’ waist to slow his thrusting down a bit. Eros responded by pushing his body down with greater force, counteracting Deimos’ upward push. Though Deimos was stronger, his arms were now fighting the full strength of Eros’ core, which was clearly no match, being forced to endure the entirety of his rod. Eros’ moaning was getting louder as the thrusting continued, Deimos too was moaning but more out of discomfort, still, the sheer amount of physical contact was starting to make Deimos’ member stiffen. Eros now got up and crawled down to Deimos’ coil, ripping it off violently and revealing his now erected penis. Eros wasted no time and took it in whole. Deimos moaned, in pleasure this time, as a twisted form of ecstasy rippled through his body. Eros was once again rough with Deimos’ rod, moving his lips up and down quickly, pulling his foreskin beyond the comfort zone, causing Deimos a little pain. Deimos reached down and placed his hands on Eros’ cheek, pleading.

‘Eros please, slow dow-...’ He was once again interrupted as Eros inserted his left index and middle finger into Deimos’ anus, causing him to wail in pain. ‘AHH! Fuck!’ Eros had no intention of taking things slow, and this was pushing Deimos very dangerously to the edge. Eros’ fingers were beginning to stroke the inside of Deimos’ raw anal lining faster, forcing it to widen. He released his grip on Deimos’ penis with his right hand, and used it to spread Deimos’ left leg open, to further widen his hole. Deimos was starting to dread his decision to allow this, and was feeling a sense of fear build up within him. Then without warning, Eros inserted his 5-inch penis into Deimos’ anus.

‘EROS! ARRGHH...!’ Deimos shut his eyes in pain as he shed a tear, his arms helplessly wrapped round the bark of a tree behind him with his whole body tensing up as the intruder forced its way violently into Deimos’ anal cavity. He could feel Eros’ warm shaft in him, which was causing him both pain and pleasure at the same time, though the pleasure was quickly diluted each time he returned to the reality of the situation, he was just begging for this moment to be over. Eros was thrusting harder and faster after each passing second, with more pre-cum coating both the lining of Deimos’ anus and Eros' penis reducing the amount of friction and pleasure he felt. Eros’ moaning was getting louder and louder as he inched closer to his climax. He raised Deimos’ legs to arch his back at an elevated angle as he increased the rate of his thrusting. Both of them were now drenched in sweat as Eros let out a final moan, ejaculating his load into Deimos. He could feel the warm fluid fill the inside of his anus, as Eros thrust him a few more times, feeling Eros' firm abs collide against his thighs. Eros was left panting as he removed his shaft, the head thoroughly swelling red and still dripping with semen. Deimos was void of emotion, unsure of what to feel. As he lay there, still panting and tearing slightly, Eros crept back toward Deimos and starting stroking his member. As soon as he felt Eros’ touch on his still erected penis, he looked at Eros and said.

‘I'm done...’ Eros ignored him, and began blowing him like before. Deimos began groaning in frustration and pushed his body away from Eros, pulling his shaft out of his mouth. Eros then said softly.

‘But you haven’t...’ Deimos begged in exhaustion.

‘Stop. Please, I can't...’ Eros had never seen Deimos like this before and was beginning to come to his senses as he realised what he had done. Eros looked at Deimos who was lying on the ground panting. Eros then noticed Deimos' now reddish anus, sore from his careless and rough penetration. This scene was gnawing at Eros as he began coming back to reality. He crawled up to Deimos quickly and apologised.

‘Deimos, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean t-...’ Deimos opened his left eye and looked at Eros with his right hand gesturing over his own neck. The moment Eros caught the message and stopped talking, Deimos dropped his head back down on the grass, shutting his eyes. After Deimos caught his breath, he arched his back and supported his upper body weight with his elbows bent and forearms flat on the ground. He looked over at Eros who was still sitting on the ground, cross-legged and looking at him worried.

‘You really wanted to fuck me that badly huh…’ Upon hearing Deimos speak, Eros eagerly crept forward and replied.

‘I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm sorry I went overboard. It won't happen agai-...’ Deimos reached out and placed his left hand on Eros' thigh as he interrupted.

‘Next time maybe slow it down a bit. My ass isn't used to being treated like this…’ Eros flashed a puzzled look as he said.

‘Sorry, I thought you and Lio would've…’ Deimos mustered whatever little energy he had left to let out a weak chuckle as he shook he head, saying.

‘We've never had… Penetrative sex... before...’ Eros enlarged his eyes as he heard that. As he was processing this information, Deimos started frowning as he continued. ‘And did you just assume that I would bottom when I have sex with him? Do I look that submissive?’ Eros blushed as he giggled nervously as he replied.

‘I guess I assumed that cause you have a nice ass...’ Deimos chuckled at that comment as he flipped over and laid on his front as he turned his head round to try and catch a glimpse of his own buttocks. Eros found himself encapsulated by this spectacle now as he stared at Deimos' bareback. Eros laid down on his chest beside Deimos and turned to look at him asking.

‘You sure you don't want to finish?’ Deimos turned to look at Eros and replied smiling.

‘I'm good. Unless you...’ Eros smiled at Deimos, to which Deimos stretched his right arm over Eros' neck, pulling him in and kissing him gently on the lips. There was no tongue, Deimos just pressed his lips against Eros' lightly. Deimos flipped over on his back, where he revealed his still stiff penis. Deimos rested Eros' head on his outstretched left bicep as he started stroking his shaft with his right hand. Eros could hear his breathing get faster and heavier with each stroke of his rod. Deimos' stroking started slow, but sped up significantly once it started to secrete pre-cum. Deimos' left arm instinctively contracted, pulling Eros closer to his chest. Seeing Deimos pleasure himself was getting Eros hard again as he decided to help Deimos out. Eros bent his head downward and began licking Deimos' left nipple. The sudden sensation of his wet tongue against his oval-shaped nipple caused Deimos to open his eyes and look down at Eros, placing his left hand on his head. Eros then used his left hand to caress Deimos' abdomen, sliding it back and forth across his firm abs. Deimos' frequent moaning was sending a very soothing signal to Eros as he continued teasing his nipple with his tongue. It was at this point that Deimos began stroking faster, his right chest starting to jerk significantly now. As soon as Eros felt the increase in Deimos' heartbeat and panting, he took a break and looked up Deimos who said to him.

‘Almost there...’ Eros smiled when he heard this as he crawled downward toward Deimos' penis. Eros flung his right leg over Deimos’ torso, resting on top of Deimos’ body, his buttocks now in Deimos' face. Deimos felt Eros grab his shaft as he happily surrendered it to him. Eros was careful to maintain sufficient friction while not being too rough this time. It was refreshing to see Deimos' eager and swollen penis again, staring desperately at him and begging for release. As Eros laid on top of Deimos pleasuring him, he instinctively begun rubbing his penis along Deimos’ abs. The sensation of Eros' rod brushing against his skin was making Deimos moan in euphoria. Deimos placed his hands on Eros' back, sliding them up and down, the feeling of another man's skin adding to his eagerness to ejaculate. Deimos finally climaxed, signalling to Eros by both the sudden gripping of his flesh on the back as well as the sudden jerk of Deimos' waist. An initial squirt of watery semen shot directly at Eros' face. Eros quickly clamped his lips around Deimos' member, continuing to milk it. Eros found his mouth filling up quickly with warm semen, but he was eager to take Deimos' seed, so he swallowed as he continued his blow. Deimos' climax started dwindling as he loosened his grip on Eros' back. Deimos dropped his head back on the ground in exhaustion as he shut his eyes, panting once again. Eros was still licking Deimos' rod, getting every ounce of semen out of Deimos’ shaft.

‘Hey guys! Whatchu' up t-... OH SHIT!’ Rhen squealed in excitement as she saw Eros on top of Deimos, servicing his swollen, worn out penis. Eros face blushed immensely when he saw Rhen squat down in front of him, staring at Deimos' penis. She was inching dangerously close and was about to touch it when Lio squat next to her glaring at her. Eros' blush became even redder when Lio appeared in front of him.

‘Ahem…’

‘Argh!’ Rhen grunted as she stormed off, leaving the three guys alone. Eros was now in an awkward position as Deimos’ dick was in his face and Lio was squatting in front of him, still turned toward Rhen as she walked off. Lio eventually turned back and looked at Eros smiling at him as he whispered.

‘How was he?’ Eros let out a weak chuckle and whispered back.

‘He was great.’ Lio returned the smile and gave Eros a wink. Lio then looked down and noticed Deimos’ buttocks smeared in traces of semen. He enlarged his eyes and glared at Eros saying.

‘He bottomed?’ Eros nodded nervously, recalling the sequence of events and the fact that he sort of forced his way through still wasn’t sitting very well with him. Deimos now perked his head up and tapped Eros on the bum saying.

‘Who are you talking to?’

‘Uhh...’ Before Eros could say anything, Lio beat him to it saying as he slapped Deimos’ worn out penis.

‘AHH!’ Deimos retracted his legs and recoiled his entire body, attempting to shield his assaulted member. This threw Eros off his body as Deimos rolled to the side, assuming the foetus position. Lio flipped Deimos back on his back as he pinned Deimos down. Lio lowered himself slowly until he was face-to-face with him, giving him a cheeky smile. Deimos tried to fight Lio but was spent, so he allowed Lio the pleasure of pinning him without much resistance. Lio found the lack of fighting unusual as he turned around, frowning at Eros saying.

‘What did you do to him? He’s so tired!’ Eros was getting a little shy and unsure of what to say at this point. Lio turned back to Deimos and leaned in as he asked him. ‘And did you enjoy yourself?’ Deimos opened his left eye, peaking at Lio who was now directly in front of his face.

‘It was alright...’ Lio sat up and turned around to face Eros, saying.

‘He said you were alright...’ This caused Deimos to open both his eyes and frown at Lio.

‘Tsk, must you do that?’ Lio shrugged his shoulders while still holding onto Deimos’ arms, giving him an irritatingly confused look. Lio allowed himself a few more moments of teasing before he sat straight up, pulling Deimos up to face him. Lio then rested his forehead against Deimos’ as he said.

‘Can I have a kiss?’ Deimos chuckled as he leaned in to kiss Lio. Lio led this time, seeing how exhausted Deimos was. He placed his hand behind Deimos’ head as he pulled his head in for addition support and pressure. Lio loved using his tongue to brush both the outside and the inside of Deimos’ mouth, bringing the saltiness of Deimos’ sweat into his mouth really seemed to turn him on. Lio continued biting Deimos a few more times, before ending it and turning to Eros, saying.

‘Wanna join us to wash up?’ Eros nodded enthusiastically as he looked around to gather their things before making their way over to the river. As the three of them entered the river for a quick washing up, Deimos decided to sit by the side of the river as he was tired, while Eros and Lio went to deeper waters where they had to stand.

‘Lio, I’m sorry I topped Deimos. I thought the two of you had done it before, if I kne-...’ Lio laughed and said.

‘Stop fretting, Eros! It’s fine, I’m just glad you guys enjoyed yourselves.’ As the two of them continued washing up, Lio moved on with a curious question. ‘Oh, but didn’t you mention previously that you were a bottom? What made you change your mind?’ Eros then replied nervously.

‘I’m not exactly a bottom. I guess I just judged my position based on that one time we had sex. But Deimos’ ass looked great, and I couldn’t really control myself. In fact, I kinda owe him an apology...’ Lio perked his eyebrow and asked.

‘Apology? Why?’

‘I was quite rough with him just now. I don’t really know what got over me, but I vaguely recall him asking me to slow down or to stop, but I didn’t listen. Before I knew it, I unloaded in him and he was exhausted. I felt terrible after that.’ Lio wore a stern face as he replied fiercely.

‘So you raped my boyfriend?’ Eros reacted quickly to the sudden change in tone and saw Lio’s face, plastered with an angry look.

‘No no! I mean, maybe, but I didn’t mean to! I’m really sorry Lio, I...’ Lio burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder saying.

‘Haha, relax Eros! I’m just messing with you. But probably a good idea to listen to him next time. I can imagine how daunting taking a dick in the ass for the first time can be for some people.’ Lio said as he turned to steal a glance at Deimos.

‘Have you done it before?’

‘Hmm...?’ Lio mumbled in response.

‘Have you bottomed before?’ Lio tilted his head as he thought about the question. After pausing awhile he responded.

‘Not really, no. But I have experimented with my anus before. Not really sure how I feel about that.’ Eros perked his eyebrow as he asked.

‘Experimented with your anus? What do you mean?’ Lio chuckled to himself as he explained.

‘When I was young, I was adventurous, like any guy going through puberty. So I was curious what it felt like to have something up your butt, so I tried putting certain objects up my ass.’ Eros was a little taken aback by how frank and honest Lio was. Lio continued, ‘Of course after awhile I stopped, fingering was the most common but even then it didn’t really work for me. That was how I figured I probably wouldn’t enjoy penetrative sex. That’s why Deimos and I...’ Eros completed Lio’s sentence by saying.

‘Have never done it.’ Lio nodded as he asked.

‘He told you?’ Eros nodded. Lio smiled as he saw Eros’ nod. Lio and Eros made their way toward Deimos. Lio then asked. ‘You need help washing your butthole?’ Deimos frowned at Lio and splashed some water at him. Lio then turned to Eros and whispered not so softly, ‘You cummed inside him right?’ Eros blushed and nodded at Lio’s question, not wanting to verbalise the embarrassing answer. Lio then turned back to Deimos and squat down so that their eyes were at the same level. ‘How did you like it as a bottom?’

‘Well’, Deimos turned to give Eros a brief glare before turning back to Lio. ‘It hurt.’ Lio laughed as he replied.

‘Yeah, it can be painful if you don’t do it properly. So I take it you’re not interested?’ Deimos hesitated in replying that question, but eventually gave Lio a weak and unconvincing nod. Eros took this opportunity to abruptly apologise to Deimos.

‘Hey, I’m sorry about just now, I don’t know what came over me...’ Deimos shook his head and smiled at Eros saying.

‘It’s alright.’ The trio finished washing up, and headed back to camp. When they arrived, Eros joined the two girls while Lio packed his things together with Deimos. Deimos approached him apprehensively and rather nervously. Lio didn’t really notice this as he was preoccupied with whatever he was currently doing. Deimos then opened his mouth, saying.

‘Hey, Lio...’

‘Yo, what’s up?’ Lio responded without facing him. Deimos remained silent for awhile, refusing to continue until Lio looked at him. Which Lio eventually did, once he noticed the unnaturally long moment of silence. Lio wore a smile, but it quickly diluted as he saw Deimos’ worried look. Lio walked up to Deimos and placed his hands on his waist as he asked, ‘What’s the matter, babe?’ Deimos sighed as he asked.

‘You sure you’re ok with this?’ Lio perked his eyebrow as he gestured pointing at Eros and back at him.

‘You mean you two? Yeah of course I’m ok!’ This reassurance made Deimos smile a little as he leaned in closer to Lio, placing his hands round Lio’s body. This caused Lio’s hands to slide round Deimos’ hips and end up resting on his backside. Deimos then asked cautiously again.

‘And you’re ok that he... Beat you to my home base?’ Lio tried to control his laughter when he heard the way Deimos phrased his question but he managed to hold it back, as he replied.

‘What you do with Eros is your business, it won’t get in the way of us.’ Lio then squeezed Deimos’ butt cheeks firmly, causing him to jerk upwards, closer to Lio’s face, as Lio gave him a gentle press on the lips with his own. After holding the kiss for a brief moment, Lio pulled away and smiled at Deimos saying. ‘You do have a nice ass, by the way.’ Deimos smirked at Lio, before going in for another kiss. As the team packed up and readied themselves, Rion gathered everyone before leading the way and pressing on their journey toward the Everstream.

‘Phil, I’m genuinely concerned about this, how are we going t-...’ The quartermaster was rudely interrupted by the deeply frustrated smithy.

‘And you think I’m not? We are all on our guard here, not knowing what the guild is up to. And that’s only half the problem, they have the power to destroy everything Rion has worked so hard to achieve!’ Phil raised his voice as he addressed the three other council members that were with him. This small little impromptu meeting was called informally to discuss the sheer uncertainty of the situation and how Astera, as a unit, should prepare for it. The standing in scholar then suggested.

‘Might I suggest we play along for now. For all you know, we are just overreacting.’ The chief melder nodded to the scholar’s suggestion, while the quartermaster and the smithy looked at each other in apprehension. The quartermaster then spoke up saying.

‘Maybe we can find a middle ground. We could think of a contingency plan in case things go sout-...’ Their informal meeting was interrupted by a junior hunter who ran towards them, panting as he delivered a report.

‘Sir, the ship, it has arrived.’ Phil looked at the other three board members and chuckled as he led the way to welcome their guest. The ship that just arrived was painted black, which made it stand out from the usual wooden brown ships. It also adorned an intimidating crimson red sail, which indicated clearly their allegiance to Phaestus and his group of warmongers. Phil and the rest of the council members waited by the ship as it docked by the ferry, awaiting to greet their new guests. A wooden plank was lowered from the deck of the ship down to the platform, as three individuals descended from it. Each one of them, wearing Phaestus’ crest on the left breast plate; a lion head with an axe and a sword crossed just below its chin. The one leading them had a red cape that coiled round his left shoulder before draping downwards behind him. The other two had similar uniforms, the only thing differing was the colour of their capes. The other male on his left wore a green cape, while the female on the right wore a blue cape. As the three figures took their first step on the platform, they approached the council arrogantly with their heads held high.

‘Greetings, people of Astera.’ The first officer in red addressed Phil as he looked down at him. Phil nodded his head slightly as he replied.

‘Greetings to the guild and its ambassadors, we are honoured t-...’ The officer pushed Phil away as he walked past him, cutting him short of finishing his sentence. As he was crossing the council members, he said.

‘We have work to do.’ Phil’s eyes began burning with rage as he raised his voice.

‘Who do you think you are?!’ The female adorning the blue cape drew a small silvery dagger from her belt and slid it ever closely to Phil’s jugular and whispered to him.

‘Now now, why do you show such disrespect to your superior?’ The officer in red noticed this and turned around to laugh as he said.

‘Spilling blood on our first day, Stero? Even that’s a first for you, sister!’ The officer turned around and walked up to Phil, smiling at him menacingly as he said. ‘I am Arges, firstborn of Phaestus and general of the war council to Ranus and the hunter’s guild.’ Arges paused for a moment before he continued, ‘Let’s get to work, shall we?’


	37. Heart of Steel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It has been an awesome journey so far with True North and an absolute pleasure to write these chapters over the past few months. The support I've gotten from this community has been immense and I am truly thankful for that. As most of you already know, I usually post new chapters every Friday, but seeing that we are at quite a significant milestone (1,000 hits!), I am going to throw in a freebie for all you wonderful blokes now in the middle of the week. I know it isn't much, but I did want to show my appreciation for all of you, and hope you continue to enjoy the story as much as I am.
> 
> I wish all of you a pleasant Christmas, and a great year ahead. Take care, and God Bless!
> 
> \- Your Grateful Author

‘You can’t just barge in here and...’ The chief melder was interrupted as Arges turned to glare at her, while flashing the same cruel smirk he flashed to Phil previously.

‘My dear, you have no idea what I can do...’ Arges stretched his hand out behind him toward the last officer in green, as he handed Arges a small scroll, similar to the disturbing report the council received a few days ago. Arges handed it over to the chief melder, who undid the knot and started reading out loud.

‘Under the authority of Ranus himself, I hereby grant Arges and his crew absolute authority over Astera. The leaders of Astera are to aid Arges’ crew in any way requested, and to disobey them is to disobey the hunter’s guild. This authority will remain with the crew until Zorah Magdaros has been no longer deemed a threat.’ The council members looked at each other with worrisome looks before turning back to look at Arges, who took back the scroll. A group of hunters noticed the commotion, and saw Phil being held at knife point. They instinctively drew their weapons and charged at the three officers. The officer in green took a few steps forward and drew his sword, pointing the blackish bladed tip toward the group of hunters, who stopped in their tracks upon seeing the intimidating figure drawing his weapon.

‘Stand down, Bron. We need a labour force to carry out our plan. You don’t expect the three of us to do it on our own do you?’ The officer in green grunted without turning round to look at Arges, his face plastering an indifferent and irritated expression. Arges turned his attention back to Phil and jerked his head at Stero, signalling her to sheathe her weapon. ‘What we do is for the best interest of the guild and Astera, you must understand that.’ Arges began circling the four council members as he continued speaking. ‘The guild has entrusted me to finish this task, and I shall deliver, as I always have. Astera is merely a tool that I shall use to fulfil this mission. Aid me, and we shall ravel in glory together. Resist me, and you will understand the true meaning of pain.’

‘And what task are we accomplishing, exactly?’ The quartermaster spoke up, asking daringly. Arges turned to her and laughed before replying.

‘My friends, this will be one for the history books, for we are here to kill Zorah Magdaros!’ The four council members’ eyes enlarged at those words and exchanged worried glances at each other. Arges turned to Stero and Bron, signalling them to enter Astera, and begin their preparations. As the council members followed them obediently, Phil grabbed a hold on the group of hunters that were running toward them earlier and whispered to them.

‘Leave, now. Rion and the rest must be alerted. Go!’ The three hunters nodded and quickly gathered some supplies before sneaking off into the Ancient Forest. Phil was beginning to fear the worst coming to past, as he continued shadowing the three officers. Now that he did not have a knife at his throat, he was able to capture details of the three individuals. Even though their uniforms were almost identical, with the exception of their capes adorning different colours, almost everything else about them was different. Arges had jet black hair, slightly curly and messy but due to the short length, it gave the illusion of intentionality. It somehow looked presentable, especially how it complimented his clean shaven face, giving him a rather youthful look. He had large eyes, which encapsulated the attention of the people he spoke to. Intimidating and charismatic, albeit for all the wrong reasons. His pupils were a very dark brown, which reflected the intensity of his ambition. Stero and Bron had fairly less defining features, though that did not mean that they were any less frightening. Bron had longer hair, which reached his shoulders. His hair was fairly well-kept, having a rather smooth texture to it. Unlike his brother, his hair was a dark oaken brown, losing intensity as we went down, ending with a lighter shade of hazel brown near the tip. The draping hair was also concealing a not-so subtle earring that he was wearing on his left ear. A small blackish dragon made of hardened steel, with its tail hanging from his earlobe and the body dangling downwards, with its neck coiling upwards to house a sizeable emerald that glistened a rather similar shade of green as his cape. Bron was taller than both his siblings, having a rather lean build. Finally, Stero looked like a typical teenage girl with normal dreams and aspirations, but that is where looks proved to be deceiving. She had dark hair, mostly black, similar to that of Arges. It was long, and it hung down from her scalp all the way to her waist. Ironically, it was not as well kept as her brother, Bron. Stero’s hair had a similar curl, like Arges, but hers did not look quite as neat since it was considerably longer. This was an accurate reflection of her nonchalant attitude, as it showed not only in her hair, but in her mannerism as well. Her stride was far reaching and confident, her aura was menacing and vile, her face constantly wearing an expression of eagerness. Stero had a well-defined body, with broad shoulders and hips, it was clear that she knew how to maintain a healthy physique, all of them did. The sheer image of these three was already an intimidating sight to anyone who encountered them for the first time, and they were smart to have chosen fear as a weapon within their arsenal.

Beyond their physical appearance, Phil noticed that their weapons were exceptionally unusual. Probably because weapons were usually made with the purpose of self-defence, but the three of them were equipped with weapons of destruction. Arges wielded a hammer, but a hammer that Phil has never seen before. It had a long handle, unlike most hammers which had shorter handles for better control. This hammer had a long handle with a large mallet at one end in the shape of a lion’s head. Inside the lion’s mouth was a large red jewel, that at first looked like a piece of jewellery, but on closer inspection, Phil noticed it to be pulsing with a peculiar kind of energy. It could be seen to be a volatile form of energy as the reddish waves within the crystal was desperately trying to exit from its shell. Phil then noticed Bron’s sword that he drew earlier on. Once again, unlike any weapon he had seen. While it did resemble the sword and shield fairly closely, the design of both the sword and the shield were vastly different. Because Phil was a smithy, these details that would otherwise be easily overlooked were exceedingly glaring to him. The sword was much longer than normal swords. Once again, possibly to trade control for more power. The material that the blade is made out of is also unknown; a blackish metal that still retained its lustrous appearance. The sword was also adorned with gold traces from the hilt all the way to the tip of the blade. The guard was once again forged in the shape of a lion’s head, with the blade exiting from its mouth. Bron’s shield also had a lion’s head on the face, with the mouth of the lion opened and positioned directly in the middle of the circular shield. While it looked normal at first, Phil noticed that the shield had elements of fluidity, which meant that the shield was not a normal one. This form of fluidity was something he only noticed in charge blade shields, which led him to suspect that Bron’s shield may have the ability to absorb and redirect energy to some degree. Stero’s weapon was by far the most intriguing of the three. Her weapon was similar to a glaive, but while her brothers traded defence for offence, her weapon sacrificed offence for a boost in defence. Glaives usually had two blades, one on each end of the handle. Stero’s glaive, however, only had one blade. While that blade was significantly thicker and larger than most glaives Phil has ever made, the other end was fitted with a large metallic piece, in the shape of a lion’s head, parallel to the handle with its mouth opened and facing outwards. Seeing the size of the mouth of the lion, Phil could guess its purpose; to stop a moving blade. The sheer weight of the weapon would be undeniably difficult to use, but considering the physiques of these individuals, it’s no wonder they have chosen these weapons. The sight of these weapons made the fear in Phil grow in intensity, for these weapons were not made to hunt monsters, they were made to fight wars. It was clear that the generals were here to fulfil a mission, but the uneasiness of the knowing that there are known unknowns here made things vastly more complicated, and time was not on the council’s side, they had to think fast and smart. Arges stopped at the pulley lift as he turned around and asked Phil.

‘So, show me to my private quarters.’

‘There are no more spare tents in the upper levels, so...’ Stero now inched closer to Phil and said to him softly.

‘Perhaps we weren’t clear enough when we arrived, but we are in-charge from now on. So anyone who was in-charge of Astera now takes second priority to us! Is this too difficult for you to understand?’ Phil glared at Stero as Arges commented.

‘Be nice, Stero. Ignorance isn’t a crime, our host just needs to be educated, that’s all.’ Arges now turned his gaze back to Phil, saying. ‘Whoever it is that you think is in-charge is now my subordinate. So if you would be so kind to show me to my personal quarters.’ Arges now stretched out his right hand, urging Phil to lead the way. Phil reluctantly brought them up to the third level, and toward Rion’s tent. As the group of them arrived at the upper levels, they noticed the six tents lined up neatly side-by-side with the furthest tent elevated slightly above the rest. ‘Ahh, that looks like my tent.’ Arges exclaimed as he advanced quickly toward Rion’s tent and entered it. Bron and Stero took the adjacent tents, which happened to be Lio’s and Deimos’. With the three of them in their own private quarters, Phil turned to the three council members and shook his head slowly at them. They returned an empathetic look as they disbanded. Just as Phil was about to leave, Arges called out to him.

‘Hey, old man, in my tent, now!’ Phil stopped momentarily and turned around to enter his tent. Arges was seated at Rion’s usual seat, facing the entrance of the tent. He placed Rion’s work neatly to the side on one of the shelves, while placing his own materials on the table. Arges looked up at Phil and smiled saying, ‘Sit.’ Phil reluctantly sat down on the other end of the table, facing Arges.

‘So what can I help you with?’ Arges replied.

‘I need to know who I should be talking to in terms of authority so that we can begin our work. Are you the person I should be talking to?’ Phil took some time to digest this question and decided to lie.

‘Yes, I’m in-charge.’ Arges raised his eyebrow as he heard that and replied.

‘Well then, sorry about the mess in your room.’ Arges paused for a while before continuing. ‘I need to know who’s heading the various essential services here.’ Phil heaved a quiet sigh before replying.

‘I’m Phil, commander of Astera. Emis is the chief melder, she provides us with useful supplies by recycling our unwanted goods. Rea is our quartermaster, in-charge of taking stock as well as ordering any supplies that we might need.’ Arges started smirking as he interjected.

‘And how do you get your supplies?’ Phil perked his eyebrow and replied.

‘We get them through Argos, he’s the captain of th-...’ Arges interrupted Phil the moment he got the information he needed.

‘Here’s a list of things that I need. Go and check if Astera’s stockpile has it, otherwise, do me a favour and order it through your captain. I need these supplies in two days.’ Phil enlarged his eyes and replied.

‘That’s not possible! We need at leas-...’

‘Now now, no need to get all agitated... I’ll tell you what, for each day you are late, I will kill one of your hunters, which means I have less of a labour force to work with. That way, nobody wins and we all suffer, sounds fair, doesn’t it?’ Phil’s eyes began flooding with a good mix of rage and anxiety the moment he heard that. Arges then continued with a sick smirk across his face. ‘We are both men of authority, surely you understand the need for punishment when tasks are not fulfilled promptly. Besides, you come across as an intelligent individual, I’m sure you will figure out a way to make it work!’

‘Why are you doing this?’ Arges laughed as he got up from his seat enthusiastically and leaned in closer to Phil, resting his body weight on both his outstretched arms on the table.

‘Because it’s my job!’

As the squad emerged from the forested region outside the Coral Highlands, they were greeted by open grass fields that enabled them to see the protruding crystal formation that marked the beginning of the Everstream.

‘Where the hell is that mountainous tit?’ Rhen asked crudely. Dr Ena replied.

‘Probably underwater. Even though the Everstream is technically a river, it opens up to the sea which explains its unsurprising depth.’ Eros then said.

‘Then how are we going to get there? We’re not swimming right?’ Rhodes laughed as she replied.

‘Not unless you want to boil yourself to death!’ Eros frowned at her as he pushed her lightly on the shoulder. Rion then replied.

‘We will go around.’ The squad followed his finger as he pointed round the water body. There was a clear path leading directly toward the volcanic region that disappears about halfway through, stopping at what seemed like a cave entrance, leading deeper into the mountains. Lio muttered to himself as he noticed the path traced out by his father.

‘Great, more caves...’ The moment that word fell on Phobos’ ears, he curled up in fear, shaking. Rion took a glance at the team, making sure everyone was alright with the route, before taking off, remembering that time was still of the essence. As the squad continued traversing, Rhen nudged Eros lightly on the shoulder asking him.

‘Psst, how was your umm... Happy time with Mr Hotshot?’ Rhodes’ eyes enlarged significantly when she heard that and turned to Eros asking.

‘What?!’ Eros placed his finger over his lips.

‘Shh...! Not so loud!’

‘Why?! The whole team knows already! So how was it?’ Eros started blushing uncontrollably at this embarrassing scene, trying to bury his face in his palm. Rhodes then added on.

‘You had sex with Deimos?! Are you nuts?’ Rhodes then turned to Rhen and said. ‘And can you keep your volume down! What if Lio finds out?!’ Rhen flashed Rhodes an annoyed look as she said.

‘Lio was there. He saw it for himself, woman.’ Rhodes eyes enlarged even more at those words as she turned to Eros and said.

‘I can’t help you buddy. You’re in deep shit now...’ Eros turned to her and muttered.

‘He’s alright with it. We were even talking about it, the three of us...’ Rhen started pouting as she added.

‘Yeah! Without me! You guys are so selfish, I was supposed to join the orgy!’ Rhodes frowned at her, flashing a disgusted look, before turning back to Eros. The two of them now just looking at each other, before Rhodes perked her eyebrows and asked. ‘So? How did it go?’ Eros’ blush came back momentarily at the question as he replied.

‘It was... great...’ Rhen sighed loudly as she said.

‘If it was so great then why are you dragging your words?’ Eros looked down and away from the two girls as he replied.

‘Well, because I did something I wish I didn’t...’ Rhodes was curious at this point and Rhen was just downright irritated, as she replied.

‘You boys are very dramatic, you know that? What in the fuck happened?!’

‘I went too fast alright! Deimos asked me to slow down but I kept going, hurting him in the process.’ Rhen and Rhodes got a shock when they heard Eros say this, with Rhen clarifying.

‘Hurt him as in physically or emotionally?’ Eros frowned at Rhen, as if deep in thought.

‘Umm... Both? I think...’ A smile appeared on Rhen’s face as she continued enquiring.

‘Both?! How did you hurt him physically?’ Eros placed his hand behind his head as he thought about how to phrase his answer properly.

‘Well, I umm... Kinda put it in his... ass without his permission...’ Rhodes’ jaw dropped while Rhen’s smile widened.

‘YOU RAPED WONDER BOY! WHOO!’ Deimos and Lio heard Rhen screaming that sentence and started shaking their heads, which ultimately led to Lio asking Deimos.

‘I heard about Eros getting a little... intense. Are you ok?’ Deimos chuckled to himself as he replied.

‘I’m fine, it’s just that he got a little too rough for my liking.’ Lio laughed as he said.

‘Yeah, gotta take things slowly when you’re coming from the back.’ Deimos then turned to Lio and said.

‘It wasn’t just that though. He was ploughing quite vigorously in my mouth too. I really didn’t appreciate that.’ This made a frown appear on Lio’s face, causing him to respond with a rather soft grunt.

‘Hmm...’ Deimos noticed this and quickly grabbed Lio’s left arm as he added.

‘I’m ok Lio, really.’ Deimos squeezed his arm slightly, to reassure him that he was fine. A smile resurfaced on Lio’s face as he continued.

‘You had a bad dream last night?’ Deimos nodded as he let go of Lio’s arm and looking away, trying to recall details of the dream. ‘What was it about? I don’t really remember you having bad dreams before...’ Deimos shut his eyes and started tapping his forehead with his index finger, trying to remember the dream.

‘I was lying down on a bed, or a table, I can’t remember. And there were people talking over me. I couldn’t see or move, I felt weak, paralysed even. Two men and a woman were present, I didn’t recognise the two male voices but the woman, I recognised her voice, but I can’t put my finger on it...’ Deimos was interrupted by Phobos who tapped him lightly on his head. Deimos turned to his right to look at him. ‘What?’

‘Hrreyeoh!’ Phobos now used both his paws to push Deimos’ head.

‘What do you mean I’m stupid? You’re a cat, how much smarter can you be?’ Lio laughed at their bantering as he went in to scratch Phobos’ belly. Phobos instantly stopped his physical assault on Deimos’ head and placed his paws on Lio’s hand, enjoying the sensation it was bringing him. Lio then placed his left hand on Deimos’ abs and said.

‘You want some too?’ Deimos perked his eyebrow as he said.

‘Nah its fine...’ Lio ignored Deimos and started tickling him on his firm abs, causing him to jerk his body backwards. ‘Lio!’ Deimos pushed Lio away with his left hand in retaliation to stop the discomfort.

The squad was beginning to feel the intense heat of the Everstream starting to build as they closed the distance toward it. Sweat was beginning to trickle from their head downward and coating their bodies. Dr Ena sounded off.

‘The cave entrance is just ahead! Do you guys want to take a break or press on?’ Rion overrode Dr Ena’s question, saying.

‘I don’t think resting here is a good idea, doctor. Let’s make it to the cave and rest there.’ Dr Ena nodded at Rion’s response, but before they pressed on, Rhen made a comment.

‘Zorah must have really hated that rock in particular!’ This caused everyone in the squad to turn toward the rock Rhen was referring to. It was a large rock formation that had been badly scratched, with cracks running significantly deep within the stone. Dr Ena and Rhodes were the first to realise something was amiss, as a frown developed on both their faces. Rhodes closed in on the large rock, and ran her hand by the large gashes.

‘Oww...!’ Rhodes flipped her hand to find the underside of her index finger bleeding from a small cut. She looked back at the crack and found a small silvery spike peeking out of the crevice. She tapped it lightly with her finger again and found it to be exceedingly sharp. She tried to remove the small pin-like protrusion, but found it to be lodged rather firmly in the gap. After a few more tugs, she gave up and took a few steps back. She muttered to herself, ‘Strange... You would think that the sharp end would pierce the rock. So either both ends of the thorn are sharp, or...’ Rhodes’ eyes began to enlarge as she thought of the alternative conclusion. She prayed that she was wrong as she started circling the boulder. The moment she reached the other side of the rock, she found humongous thorns, almost the size of a fully grown person, piercing the rock like it was paper, fracturing the rock thoroughly. The thorns pierced through the entirety of the stone, and peeked out the other end. Upon seeing this, Rhodes’ pupils shrunk as she returned back to the squad. Rion asked her promptly.

‘Anything we should be worried about?’ Rhodes nodded her head as she said to Dr Ena.

‘That rock was not mutilated by Zorah, it was Nergigante.’ The moment the squad heard that name, Rion signalled them to move on quickly. Confrontation with a beast such as Nergigante is something anyone would try their best to avoid. Remembering clearly that Nergigante provides the balance to the Elders, reminds one of its sheer power and strength that Gaia has bestowed onto it. The squad’s pace was turned from a comfortable hiking speed to a jogging pace now. Adrenaline was pumping in the hearts of all of them as the thought of coming face-to-face with the eater of Elders was not something anyone would look forward to. The squad was now about a kilometre away from the cave, when they heard a loud resounding roar. This roar had the sound of metal plates scrapping one another, a rather rusted and metallic ring added to the piercing and deafening property of the call. This introduced a very unusual form of discomfort to the team, as they have never heard something like that before. They turned around and looked up at the sky to see nothing. Rion signalled the team once again to press on, accompanying it with words.

‘Quickly, to the cave!’ The squad forced their attention away from the roar and sprinted toward the cave. After covering about half the distance, the same roar was heard again, this time it was much louder and infinitely more piercing as the team was frozen in place. Rion now shouted.

‘Quickly! Before Nergigante catches on!’ Dr Ena then corrected.

‘That is no Nergigante...’ At those words, curiosity got the better of Rion and the rest as they turned their heads backwards to see a shrouded figure in the air, still quite a distance from the squad. Each flap of its wings, the sound of creaking metal could be heard, similar to the sound of rusted gears. Its body coated in a lustrous lining of silvery steel, and yet, each breath contracted and expanded its chest as if it was made of a softer material. Dr Ena then added. ‘But being caught by a Kushala isn’t good news either. RUN!’ The team tuck their tails and ran for the cave. The air around them began twirling and spinning at the command of the Elder Dragon, causing their eyes to dry quickly, adding to the level of discomfort felt by the team. While the strong winds were a nice way to cool down in the heat, these winds were carrying debris that was unknowingly cutting and injuring them. The sheer speed of the winds were doing all the work, as the hunters found themselves being cut by sand and dust particles as well as blades of loose grass. Everyone was holding onto the loose pieces of equipment that they had on them lest they get carried away in these strong winds, perhaps Deimos forgot that Phobos was on his shoulder, and the strong winds were enough to send Phobos flying off from his shoulder.

‘PHOBOS!’ Deimos shouted as he ran back after him.

‘DEIMOS!’ Lio shouted. The squad heard Lio’s call and stopped to turn around. Lio turned to them and shouted back. ‘GO! We’re right behind you guys!’ Rion, Dr Ena and Rhodes nodded and continued running, while Rhen and Eros made sure they checked back on them frequently in case the two of them had to confront the beast. Phobos was tumbling on the ground, being thrown around due to his light weight. The lack of control over his movements were scaring him significantly as he cried out in fear. Deimos could see Phobos’ crying out but could not hear him due to the loud winds blowing strongly beside his ears. Deimos threw himself forward to cover that last bit of distance between them, cuddling Phobos near his chest.

‘I got you buddy, I got you...’ Deimos picked himself up quickly and ran back towards the cave. Lio was not far from him and wrapped his arms around Deimos as the two of them started running toward the cave together. The winds were beginning to get overwhelming, with Deimos feeling like his feet were not heavy enough to stay grounded. Rion, Dr Ena and Rhodes managed to reach the cave and enter it safely, with Rhen and Eros following closely behind. Lio and Deimos were about a hundred more metres to the entrance, when Kushala landed between them and the cave, blocking the entrance. The menacing Elder Dragon’s landing was so violent that it pushed a strong gust of air toward the two, causing them to fall to the ground. With Deimos holding onto Phobos with his arms, he felt vulnerable since he could not draw his weapon. Lio stood in front of him and drew his greatsword, pointing it toward Kushala. Deimos shouted at Lio.

‘What are you doing?’ Lio said without turning his head.

‘Protecting you!’ Deimos shouted in annoyance.

‘Just run, you idiot! We’re not fighting this damn thing!’ Lio’s ears twitched when he heard that and sheathed his weapon immediately and turned to Deimos saying.

‘Right, sorry.’ The two of them ran in opposite directions; Deimos running to right while Lio ran to the left. Kushala turned toward Deimos, seeing that there were two targets on its left. ‘Shit!’ Lio muttered the moment he noticed the Elder’s attention turning to Deimos. He fired his clutch claw onto the Elder’s wings, causing it to slip. The smooth shiny surface disallowed the claw to hook effectively onto its surface. Lio tried again, this time on its tail. The claw managed to lodge itself into one of the joints, pulling him in. Once he was one the creature, he fished out his hunting knife and tried piercing through the metallic hide to no avail. Lio was trying very hard to draw its attention away from Deimos, so he unsheathed his greatsword and dropped it on the base of its tail. The metallic hide caused his blade to rebound with immense force, flinging him off from the beasts’ tail and landing on the ground. Kushala seemed totally oblivious to Lio’s presence and was already preparing an air blast directly toward Deimos. The circling winds were charging up in its mouth as it fired it directly toward Deimos.

‘NO!’ Lio screamed. Just as the gust of air was about to leave Kushala’s jaws, a large foreign claw emerged from its side and swiped Kushala across the face, causing it to miss its jet of wind. The strike was so powerful that Kushala’s metallic crown was partially dented by that single swipe. Lio turned to his right to see what had just joined the fight and was greeted by an oddly familiar silhouette. The intruder’s thick outer hide was black, with its underside a good mix of orange and purple. Its arms were large and muscular, with huge beige-coloured thorns growing from all parts of its body. Its head adorned two gigantic horns that bent upwards like a bull, thick and made of strong bone. The sight of the creature was sending very bittersweet emotions stirring within Lio as he saw Deimos make it to the cave safely. Kushala prepared another jet of wind within its mouth, this time aiming it directly at Nergigante. Before Kushala could unleash it, Nergigante stood up on its hind legs and crashed its entire body weight down onto Kushala. Nergigante pressed its right foreleg down directly onto Kushala’s jaw, causing it to collide violently on the ground, preventing Kushala from retaliating. Then Nergigante used its powerful arms to launch Kushala forward, scrapping and sliding along the ground until Kushala’s body collided against a rock wall. The impact was enough to dent more of Kushala’s metallic plates on its back, as the creature tried to recover from the strong blow. Lio took this opportunity to make a run for it, making it safely to the cave as well. He went straight to Deimos and hugged him tightly, with Phobos still in his arms.

‘Thank god! I thought I lost you!’ Deimos felt himself being crushed slightly as he replied.

‘Lio, I’m fine, I’m right here...’ Deimos then remembering how traumatising it might be for Lio, decided to allow Lio this moment of security and peace. The moment Lio broke from the hug, he began examining Deimos from top to bottom, for any injuries and noticed that he was covered in small cuts. Deimos then reassured him again. ‘Lio, I’m alright.’ Lio calmed himself down as he heard Deimos’ words, fixing his eyes with Deimos’ as he plastered a smile across his face. Rion took a quick look around the cave before saying.

‘There’s a good spot for us to rest deeper into the cave, let’s move on before those two Elders decide to tear this cave down as well.’ The team nodded in agreement and followed Rion’s lead deeper into the cave.

‘Phil! How you doing ma man? Hope everythin-...’

‘Argos, listen, I need a favour.’ Argos wore a frown, seeing that his old friend was speaking in a way he had not seen him speak for almost thirty years.

‘Go ahead, old friend.’ Phil looked around to make sure nobody was looking before he handed Argos two scrolls.

‘The new boss needs all of these in two days time.’ Argos nodded as Phil handed him the first scroll, and continued as he handed him the other. ‘And I need these immediately.’


	38. Fading Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘Lio...’ Deimos said softly as Lio was examining him from top to bottom. Deimos didn’t like it when people fretted over him, especially when there was nothing to fret over. ‘Lio...’ Deimos mumbled a second time.

‘Hmm...?’ Lio replied softly while continuing his scan over Deimos’ cut-filled body.

‘Lio!’ Deimos now placed his hands on Lio’s cheeks and pulled him up to level their eyes. ‘I’m fine!’ Lio then dropped his eyes back down to where he last searched before Deimos forced Lio’s gaze back onto his deep blue eyes again. Lio then muttered.

‘But, but...’ Deimos placed his right hand over Lio’s mouth now and frowned at him, maintaining a rather intimidating stare of disapproval. Lio’s eyes still reflected his worry, but seeing the annoyance in Deimos’ expression caused him to let it go. Lio sighed as he said, ‘Sorry...’ The apology caused a smile to emerge from Deimos’ lips as he leaned in for a kiss. Deimos took it slow and gentle, as always, licking the contours of Lio’s lips, which was his way of getting them to part. He pushed his head in closer in order to coat the inside of Lio’s mouth with his saliva. He stroked the lining gently to calm his partner down significantly as he clamped his lips shut against Lio’s mouth. The two of them exhaled warm air onto each other’s face through their nostrils, creating a nice cosy atmosphere between them. Deimos pulled Lio in such that their exposed torsos pressed against each other, exchanging their body heat. Lio instinctively wrapped his arms around Deimos’ body and accidentally slid his hand past a series of small cuts along his back. The sharp pain caused Deimos to unintentionally bite Lio’s lips and let out a muffled grunt in the middle of the kiss.

‘Mmmrgh...!’

‘Ahh!’ Lio pulled away from the kiss and bit his lip.

‘Sorry!’ Deimos said the instant he realised what he had done, placing his right thumb over the bite mark that was now turning red on Lio’s lower lip. Lio shut his eyes momentarily before looking at Deimos menacingly and said.

‘So you wanna play rough huh?’ Deimos enlarged his eyes as he responded.

‘No no no no!’ Lio started pushing Deimos backward, with Lio’s hands grabbing both of Deimos’ arms at the wrist and against a rock wall. Lio gave Deimos a naughty smirk before diving straight in for his neck. Deimos was apprehensive with a tinge of fear lingering within him as Lio did this, genuinely unsure of what to expect. But despite Lio’s tone and body language, he was being very gentle. He nibbled Deimos’ neck, licking it from top to bottom, which caused Deimos to let out a moan. He felt no pain, only pleasure. The moan was starting to turn Lio’s gears, as he was beginning to recall how long it has been since their last intimate session together. And seeing as they were in a nice cosy corner not too far from the rest, they were in as good a spot as any to enjoy themselves. However, a part of Lio stopped him, urging him to not only take things slow, but to let Deimos dictate the pace of things, especially after what had happened the past few days. Lio mustered the discipline and self-control to stick to simplistic modes of pleasure for now, as he continued caressing his partner with his eager tongue. Lio noticed Deimos shutting his eyes as he continued moaning while Lio licked his sweaty tan skin, so Lio decided to push his head upward till his face was beside Deimos’. Deimos opened his eyes once he noticed the absence of Lio’s moist tongue and turned his head to the left to find Lio’s head next to his. Lio released his grip on Deimos’ wrist and lowered it round his waist to his back and pulled him in for a hug. Lio sighed as he whispered into Deimos’ ear.

‘I’m just glad you’re ok...’ Deimos placed his hands behind Lio’s head, holding on to it to calm him down as if he were a child. With the two so close and their bodies pressed against each other, Deimos could feel the still stiff bulge pressed against his groin. He chuckled to himself as he whispered back into Lio’s ear.

‘Do you need some help with that?’ Lio pulled away from the hug and smiled at Deimos as he shook his head.

‘Maybe later. You get some rest, you must be exhausted...’ Deimos felt a tinge of discomfort when he heard Lio’s response. Rather unusual since Deimos would consider Lio the horny one, between the two of them. A part of him really wanted to pleasure Lio, but he was not exactly sure why. It was not out of drive or eagerness, but it felt like an obligation, which made it that much more alarming. Deimos’ thoughts were interrupted as Lio wrapped his right arm over and across his back, leading him back to regroup with the rest of the team.

‘Aww... You poor thing!’ Rhen said as she saw Phobos lying down on Eros’ lap with his eyes shut and resting after that brutal encounter with Kushala. His body too was covered in small cuts from the debris that was flying around at high speeds with the help of the strong winds summoned by the brutal Elder. Rhodes was applying some medication on Phobos as the two gentlemen returned. Rhen stood up and asked them.

‘Where did you guys go? Wonder boy alright?’ Lio turned to Deimos and gave him an unsettling smirk as he said.

‘I was just checking to see if my boyfriend was still in pristine condition...’ Rhen perked her eyebrows and smiled as she asked.

‘And how thorough were you...?’ Lio turned Rhen and returned the same cheeky expression as he replied.

‘Very...’ Rhen squealed in excitement as she heard that, immediately assuming that that meant they had sex. Rhodes heard the commotion and looked over to see Deimos’ body also covered in small cuts. She got up with whatever that was left of her medicine and headed over to Deimos. Deimos upon seeing her coming toward him with a leaf in her hand, raised his palms and said.

‘Rhodes wait, I’m fine, leave that for Phobo-...’ Rhodes ignored Deimos as she smeared the medication all over his skin where the cuts were. They were quite difficult to locate since his complexion was dark, so she ran her fingers quite adventurously around Deimos’ exposed body. A frown appeared on Deimos’ face every now and then as Rhodes applied the medication over the open wounds, which caused a brief but sharp pain. Seeing that Rhodes was getting away with openly touching Deimos, Rhen ran over and asked.

‘Can I do it?’ Rhodes turned to her and frowned.

‘No.’ Rhen looked up at Deimos and asked.

‘She won’t let me do it! Tell her that you want me to do it!’ Deimos folded his arms and shook his head as he wore a malicious smile. Rhodes aggressively grabbed Deimos’ folded arms and unfolded them, forcing them by his side. This sudden jerk caused Deimos’ eyes to widen and return his attention back to Rhodes. This woman had an aura of authority that no one dared to question for some odd reason, but the energy that was radiating from her was enough for Deimos to stand still for the rest of the time Rhodes applied the medicine. Rhodes would not deny that she took pleasure in seizing any opportunity she could to have some form of physical contact with a well built masculine figure such as Deimos, though she was not nearly as obsessive as the rest of the group.

‘Ok, done. Rest up and you should be fine tomorrow.’ Deimos smiled at her and nodded in appreciation. Rhodes returned the smile as she left the group to check on Rion and Dr Ena. Deimos knelt down beside Eros and placed his left hand gently on Phobos’ head.

‘How is he?’ Eros replied.

‘I don’t really know. His eyes have been shut ever since we entered the cave. He’s more relaxed now, after Rhodes applied the medication so I guess that’s a good sign.’ Deimos relaxed a little after he heard that. Eros then carried on to ask, ‘Are you alright?’ Deimos turned to Eros and replied.

‘Ohh yeah, I’m ok.’ Eros scanned Deimos’ body and noticed the numerous cuts all over. Though they were not deep ones, they did look very uncomfortable. Eros did not offer any verbal response as he continued staring at Deimos’ wounded body. Deimos broke him out of the trance as he said, ‘Will you look after him?’ Eros broke his gaze and turned back to Deimos as he replied.

‘Yes, of course.’ Deimos smiled and transitioned his left hand from Phobos’ head to Eros’ right cheek.

‘Thank you.’ Deimos then stood up and returned to Lio, who was having a conversation with Rhen. Deimos went up to Lio and asked. ‘Can I uhh... Talk to you for a minute?’ Lio raised his brows at the question and nodded, signalling to Rhen that they can continue their conversation later. The two of them walked over to the side and Deimos casually asked Lio, ‘You alright man?’ Lio chuckled at the question as he leaned in to rub his nose gently against Deimos’.

‘You just gave me quite a scare, that’s all. I’m not sure I can endure losing you...’ Deimos smiled as he rested his forehead against Lio’s. Deimos noticed Lio closing his eyes, just being in the moment of things, with the memory of Lio’s hardened member within his coil coming back to him. Suddenly, Deimos felt it again. An unnaturally strong urge to pleasure Lio was beginning to fester within him, a strong yet foreign emotion was starting to drive his actions at the point of time. Occupied with these disturbing thoughts, Deimos’ left hand automatically found its way to Lio’s abdomen and slid down into his coil, quickly locating his flaccid penis. Lio’s eyes shot wide open and looked at Deimos as Deimos immediately placed his right hand over Lio’s mouth. Deimos knelt down slowly and pulled Lio’s coil down, revealing his quickly hardening member, erecting in front of Deimos’ eyes. Deimos took the shaft in immediately without hesitation and began blowing it quickly. Initially, Lio was in cloud nine, feeling Deimos’ moist lips wrapped round his stiffened rod was sending wave after wave of erotic sensation throughout his body. But after awhile, Lio was starting to become conscious of Deimos’ unusual increase in speed, as if trying to hasten Lio to his climax. Deimos’ fingers stretched upwards to where Lio’s nipples were and began toying with them, giving Lio a sudden influx of sexual delight. Lio could also feel himself reaching his orgasm unnaturally quick as he forced himself to stop Deimos. He placed his hands on Deimos’ shoulders, and pushed him away from his shaft as he knelt down and spoke to him.

‘Babe, slow down...’ Deimos found himself sitting on the ground with Lio knelt down and in front of his face, staring at him with a look of concern. Lio then placed his right hand on Deimos’ left cheek, asking, ‘Is something wrong?’ Deimos’ mind was blank, and so was his heart. They were void of both emotion and thought, which was very unlike him, especially since sex with Lio was never like that. Every single time they were intimate, he felt warm, not just physically, but emotionally. He felt joy, not just a sexual kind, but a soul-fulfilling type. So with Lio’s question ringing constantly in his head, Deimos too was beginning to wonder what was going on. He looked blankly at Lio as a tear dripped from his eye.

‘I... I’m not sure...’ Lio started shaking his head and sat down as he said to Deimos. Lio just offered a gentle smile as he looked at Deimos, giving him time to his thoughts. Deimos continued staring at Lio with his blank expression, still feeling a mixture of confusion over what he just did, while processing what Lio had just said. Deimos remained silent amidst all of this as Lio readjusted his coil, housing his member comfortably back into his pants. Deimos then shook his head, as if to clear his mind before he said. ‘A part of me just wanted to make you happy I guess...’ Lio frowned and chuckled as he replied.

‘Deimos, I think I know you well enough to know that isn’t it.’ Deimos now flashed a frown and replied aggressively.

‘Look man, you asked me what’s up, and I’m just telling you how I feel now!’ Lio raised his palms and said.

‘Alright alright! Relax, I’m just saying I think there’s more to it than that.’ Deimos calmed down as he heard Lio’s words. Lio inched forward and sandwiched Deimos’ left hand with both his hands as he continued. ‘Look, every moment spent with you is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. You don’t need to match or feel guilty for enjoying yourself. I don’t expect anything from you, and I just want you to be happy. Seeing you contented brings me more joy than you could possibly know...’ These words burned a hole through Deimos’ heart, as reality began sinking back into his mind. Deimos smiled as he replied.

‘Thanks, Lio.’ Lio was glad that he could help Deimos achieve some peace of mind. Deimos was maintaining his gaze on Lio as he asked. ‘You sure you don’t wanna finish?’ Lio frowned at him and replied.

‘And waste my load over something like this? Nah... You can have it when you actually want it.’ Deimos was a little confused with Lio’s statement but it somehow sat well with him. But just to continue the conversation, Deimos responded.

‘I just find it weird that I let someone else get away with me before my partner. Doesn’t seem normal...’ Lio replied Deimos saying.

‘You have a cat for a brother, I don’t think you really fit the bill of being normal dude...’ Deimos frowned at Lio as a reactionary response but loosened up quickly as soon as he realised what Lio was trying to bring across. Lio then continued, ‘While I know others have been to places I haven’t, my journey with you has been no less fulfilling.’ Lio said this as he now placed his right hand over Deimos’ chest, feeling his slow and strong beating heart. Deimos pressed his right hand over Lio’s hand that was on his chest and held onto it tightly as a smile appeared across his face. Deimos then said.

‘You know you’re quite a sweet talker yourself...’ Lio perked his eyebrow as he replied arrogantly.

‘I know right. It’s no wonder I seem to attract both guys and girls effortlessly...’ Deimos rolled his eyes as he got up and returned to the team, leaving Lio on the ground. Lio got up quickly and followed Deimos, wrapping his arms once again round Deimos’ neck.

‘Kushala, so far away from the Ancient Forest. These are really mad times...’ Dr Ena was speaking to Rion with Rhodes still checking on them and making sure they were fine. ‘What puzzles me is that the Elders should expect to find Nergigante here, and yet they seem to be traversing to the Everstream. Why would you walk willingly into your predator...?’ Rhodes then muttered.

‘To run away from something more threatening, I suppose.’ Dr Ena’s eyes glistened with excitement as he heard that statement from Rhodes.

‘Of course! But... What could be more terrifying than Nergigante. Gosh, so many pieces of the puzzle missing, it’s infuriating!’ Rion replied.

‘Calm down doctor. We deal with one issue at a time, for now, we deal with Zorah and the... What is the region beyond the Everstream called anyway.’ Dr Ena shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

‘We don’t have a name for it, since we’ve never even been there before, but I guess we could name it now.’ Rion and Dr Ena turned to Rhodes with hopeful eyes, eager to hear a good name coming out from her mouth.

‘Why are you guys looking at me for? I don’t know...’ Dr Ena then said.

‘Come on young lady, we old men have been naming practically every part of this island, it would help if the new bloods gave us some ideas.’ Rhodes thought hard, but could not think of any meaningful name since so very little was known about the area. The only thing that she could think of was the fact that the Elder Dragons seemed to be gathering at this very spot on the island. So Rhodes hesitantly said.

‘How about Elder’s Recess?’ Dr Ena initially frowned at the name before opening his eyes in elation and turned to her and shouted.

‘Brilliant! Yes, from now on, we will call this place the Elder’s Recess. Courtesy of Rhodes herself! Wonderful!’ Rion flashed a smile at Rhodes, as she returned it half-heartedly, clearly dissatisfied with the name she created. As Deimos and Lio returned, Phobos was up and awake, but still feeling a little frail. The moment he saw Deimos, however, he got up and darted toward his brother. Deimos squat down to embrace him, pressing the soft fur against his skin. After the embrace, Phobos turned to stretch out his paws toward Lio, requesting for a hug from him as well.

‘Goodness, you’re such a needy little cutie!’ Lio commented as he picked Phobos up and embraced him in his arms. Lio then whispered into Phobos’ ear, ‘And I love it!’ Phobos purred in delight as he heard that. Rion gathered the squad for a short debrief.

‘Deimos, how are you feeling?’ Deimos replied.

‘I’m feeling ok, sir.’

‘Can you continue?’

‘Yes, sir!’ Lio looked at Deimos and examined him another time after he heard his respond to his father. Rion nodded at Deimos’ response as he addressed the group again.

‘We are making good progress but we cannot get complacent. We still don’t know what Zorah’s true intentions are, and the faster we figure that out, the faster we can figure out our next move.’ The squad nodded in unison as they heard Rion’s overarching plan. Rion then turned to Dr Ena and said, ‘Doctor, how much further are we from the Recess?’ Dr Ena replied.

‘We have made it into the entrance of the cave that will lead us nicely to the entrance of the Recess; where the large crystal formations are, marking the beginning of the Everstream. The only issue is getting past it...’ Rhen then interrupted, saying.

‘What is this Recess? Is it some kind of break time or...?’ Rhodes slapped her arm as she said.

‘It’s the name of the area past the Everstream, you chimpanzee!’ Rhen rubbed her arm that Rhodes just hit as she replied.

‘What a stupid name...’ Rhodes rolled her eyes as she returned her attention back to the leaders. Rion then addressed the doctor’s concern, saying.

‘One problem at a time, doctor. We will get there first before worrying about getting acro-...’ Rion’s words were interrupted by a tremor. The ground shook violently as the cave walls began cracking as debris fell from the top and side of the cave. The team tried to maintain their balance as the ground continued to shake. Eros commented.

‘Earthquake?’ Rhodes then interjected.

‘Maybe a volcanic eruption.’ Dr Ena then corrected.

‘Neither. It’s Zorah.’ Rion turned back to the group as the tremors began subsiding and said.

‘Looks like Zorah isn’t taking a break, so neither should we. Let’s go!’

Phil was making his rounds around Astera, ensuring that everyone was alright while also checking for the resources specially requested by Arges. Barrels of oil, hunks of steel, tonnes of coal, what on earth is Arges up to, Phil thought to himself. This was not a shopping list for hunters, these were materials needed to fuel weapons and machines of war, which not only added to Phil’s confusion, but his fear as well. Phil was not comfortable with the current situation at hand, and was just hoping that by the time Rion and the rest return, it won’t be too late.

Arges was sitting quietly in Rion’s tent, polishing his hammer when Stero barged in.

‘Yes, by all means, just come in as and when you please.’ Arges commented sarcastically.

‘Quit your whining. When can we get to work?’ At this point, Bron entered as well, placing his hands by his waist and staring at Arges. Arges laughed to himself and said.

‘I see you guys are getting bored. Very well, since I don’t have the resources I need to begin construction yet, might I suggest a little... Discipline training amongst the hunters first. Make sure they forget what they think they know, and know what they are supposed to.’ A wicked and fanatical smile emerged on Stero’s face as she turned around enthusiastically, about the exit Arges’ tent. But before she exited, Arges continued with one last statement. ‘Break their spirits, and their minds will follow...’ Bron smirked at that final statement as he followed his sister out of the tent.

Phil just exited the armoury when he bumped into Stero and Bron, who turned to him and asked.

‘Where are the hunters?’ Phil replied.

‘They’re by the dock, their living quarters are there.’ As soon as they got the information they wanted, they left. Phil then asked. ‘What are you going to do with them?’ Bron ignored him and continued walking while Stero stopped to look at him and said.

‘We are going to begin their training...’ As soon as Phil heard that, he knew his time was wearing thin. He could no longer wait for Rion, he had to do something now.

‘I wonder when they are coming back.’ One of the fifth fleet hunters asked.

‘For all you know, they are probably dead.’ Said a fourth fleet hunter.

‘Hey! Don’t say that. They brought the best hunters along to thei-...’ Stero interrupted the conversation as she said.

‘Best hunters? Ohh, I would very much like to meet them. Where are they?’ The two hunters turned quickly to face Stero who was leaning uncomfortably close to them. The fifth fleet hunter was terrified and found himself unable to speak, so the fourth fleet hunter replied confidently.

‘The best hunters went off in search of Zorah Magdaros! They left wit-...’

‘With our head scholar, Dr Ena. That is why the research team is temporarily headed by its senior scholars, but they will manage, nonetheless.’ Phil appeared from behind, completing the fourth fleet hunter’s sentence. The hunter then tried to continue saying.

‘They also left with our...’

‘Most experienced hunter, Rion, who has been in Astera for a very long time.’ The two hunters were plastering a look of confusion as they heard the blatant lie being told right before them. But as soon as they caught up to what Phil was trying to do, they wiped the expressions off their faces and returned their attention to the two intimidating figures in front of them.

‘Ahh... I see. Well, send word for their immediate return.’ Phil replied confidently.

‘Already did so the moment you arrived.’ Stero laughed at Phil’s misplaced sense of confidence as she continued.

‘I need to make sure that everyone in Astera is on the same page. No matter how young or old, minds must be shaped, and slaves must be obedient.’ The fifth fleet hunter questioned.

‘Slaves?’ Stero slapped the hunter in the face and screamed at him.

‘Insolence!’ Stero then turned to Bron and said. ‘Get them ready...’

The squad continued along the cave for a few more tiresome hours. The terrain was fairly kind, with most of the ground flat and even. The enclosed nature of the cave kept the warm air out which made traversing the cave that much easier. It also helped that the cave had large gaps in its walls every now and then, which allowed the team to see their progress toward the Elder’s Recess. They stopped at a large open cavern that was well ventilated, with a generous amount of space and air for the team to make camp. Though it was open, the team was spared the heat due to the high altitude of the cavern area. The hot air will not get trapped and will be able leave, allowing for cooler air to take its place. Rion signalled the team to rest here for the day, so everyone found and picked their respective resting spots. There was a nice pocket round the corner which Lio ran straight to, dragging Deimos along with him. The area was nice and concealed, with more than enough space for two grown men to cuddle up.

‘This looks nice!’ Lio commented as he squeezed Deimos’ arm as he held on to it tightly.

‘Yeah, it looks... Tight...’ Lio frowned as he added.

‘Like your butthole.’

‘Tsk...!’ Deimos hit Lio with the back of his right hand against his left shoulder. Lio laid down on his back, and Deimos sat down facing the way they came in, with his back turned to Lio. Lio placed his hand on Deimos’ back, without uttering a word. Lio stroked his hand gently up and down Deimos’ back, giving him a sort of physical comfort. Deimos then lay himself down slowly, resting his head on Lio’s right bicep, as he began kissing Lio’s chest. Lio was beginning to feel the familiar tingling sensation in his groin the moment Deimos’ lips touched his skin. Deimos then pushed Lio’s right arm over his head and licked his armpit. The saltiness quickly filled Deimos’ mouth and gave him a rather strange yet sensational feeling. Deimos crept upwards, sticking out his tongue and brushing it along Lio’s upper chest, to his neck, up his chin and eventually to his lips, as he closed in for a kiss. Deimos’ right hand now sliding down into Lio’s coil slowly, grabbing onto his already hardened penis as he pulled away from the kiss and looked Lio straight in the eye and said.

‘Let’s do this properly this time...’

‘Boy! Make sure you get everything ready on that list!’ The young teenage boy then replied.

‘And where are you going?’ Argos replied.

‘I have errands to run myself.’ Argos left the ship and headed directly to the embassy; a concrete building found along the port back in the Old World where the fleets departed. He entered the well-guarded building and showed the guard the crest of Astera, which allowed him quick and seamless access within the small building. Argos went straight to the commanding officer and entered his office. Since Argos was technically a captain, he had a reputation, however his dressing spoke otherwise, which caused the new officer to judge his appearance initially.

‘Can I help you?’ Argos went straight up the officer’s desk and said.

‘I need to speak to Ranus immediately.’ The officer laughed and said.

‘Even if I had the authority to call an audience with the chief, why would I even conside-...’ At this point, a knock on the officer’s door interrupted their conversation as the guard said.

‘Sir, Chief Ranus has just arrived.’

‘What?! How come I was not informed he was coming?’ The officer shouted.

‘He said he has something urgent to settle.’ The officer then asked.

‘With whom?’ The guard then looked at Argos and said.

‘With him, sir.’

Argos had never had the privilege of meeting Ranus in person, but now that he got the opportunity, he had hoped that they could meet under different circumstances. Even so, it was a great honour to meet him in the flesh. Though he had not met him before, the moment Argos returned to the lobby, he could immediately identify him. Ranus was a tall, lean figure, and he wore a thin metallic armour-like clothing. His chest piece bore the crest of the hunter’s guild; a diamond logo with a large cross in the middle with each edge of the cross protruding like a sword, diving the four points of the diamond into their four values of respect, community, survival, and prosperity. Ranus was wearing a thick fur cloak that was beige in colour, which complimented the silvery metallic piece he was wearing. It also fit well with his blonde hair and teal eyes. He was also wearing a humble looking amulet which was an upright cross with a bright sapphire gem in the middle. Ranus scanned the lobby and locked eyes with Argos immediately as he rushed over to him. Argos bowed in respect, to which Ranus said in haste.

‘Come, we don’t have much time.’

The guard led Ranus and Argos into a small room where they could speak in private. Ranus then began speaking.

‘Before I share what has been happening here, can you please update me on what’s happening in Astera?’ Argos replied as he handed Ranus the scroll from Phil, containing the detailed description of their current predicament and a request for direct orders from Ranus himself.

‘Phaestus’ subordinates have arrived and they have seized control over Astera. I have been given orders to return with the materials needed to create, well, something. Even I’m not sure what it is...’ Ranus interrupted.

‘It is a weapon.’ Argos frowned in confusion. Ranus sighed as he explained. ‘This is my doing. I do not have time to explain everything in detail to you, but I need you to relay a very important message to Rion.’ Argos replied.

‘Sir, Rion is no longer in-charge. Or well, at least he is temporarily unavailable.’ Ranus responded furiously.

‘What in Hermes’ tits is that supposed to mean?!’ Argos then explained.

‘He followed a group of hunters to track down Zorah Magdaros, temporarily leaving Astera in the command of our smithy.’ Ranus was burying his face in the palm of his right hand as he said.

‘Can this smithy be trusted?’ Argos smiled and replied confidently.

‘Definitely.’ Ranus sighed and continued.

‘Very well. I need you to relay a message to the leaders of Astera. Tell them to resist, and to stall. It will not be easy, but I humbly ask for that sacrifice, lest the total destruction of the New World as we know it.’ Argos’ eyes opened wide as he heard this, beginning to feel the weight of the situation. Ranus took off his sapphire pendent and gave it to Argos, looking at him in the eyes with regret and sorrow. Ranus sighed as he got up from his seat and walked to the door. Before leaving, he turned around and said to Argos.

‘And please tell Rion this: the sapphire star will guide you no longer.’


	39. Blurred Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

Deimos pushed Lio’s coil down and exposed his erected penis. It lay stiff on Lio’s abs before Deimos slid his right hand under it and propped it up as he gripped the shaft firmly. The feeling of Deimos’ hand on his member sent a chill up Lio’s spine as he twitched in delight, letting out a pleasurable moan in the process. Lio transitioned his right hand to rest on Deimos’ neck, using his thumb to stroke the smooth skin and feeling vein that wrapped round it. He could feel Deimos’ pulse and his strong heartbeat on his palm, and he felt it gradually speed up, in tandem with the stroking of Lio’s rod. Lio was still trying to take things slowly but with Deimos’ body, stroking and his eager eyes staring straight at Lio, all these proved to be a little overwhelming. So Lio tried his best to tame the animal within him by taking bite size pleasures out of this moment as he positioned his left hand to rest of Deimos’ chest, and sliding it up and down, feeling the firm contours of his beautifully toned body. As both their heart rates began increasing exponentially, Lio found it exceedingly difficult to hold himself back, as he began noticing his left hand becoming more and more adventurous. Eventually, his left hand found its way into Deimos’ coil, and successfully located the stiffened member of his partner. As soon as Deimos felt Lio’s hand on his penis, he too exhaled a breath of hot air, which accompanied a moan as he used his free left hand to pull down his coil, allowing Lio full access to his erected shaft. Lio began stroking it slowly, still conscious of keeping things slow. With Deimos now starting to feel the heat, he impulsively got up and removed his clothing before kneeling beside Lio’s head, Deimos’ penis begging for entry into his mouth. Lio happily turned to his right and took Deimos’ swollen head into his mouth, gradually coating it in his saliva. Deimos did not thrust, and allowed Lio to dictate the speed of his oral service. Regardless, Deimos was feeling an intense amount of pleasure coming from his rod, as Lio continued teasing his head with his tongue. Lio playful brushed Deimos’ exposed penile head with his tongue, occasionally stroking it from the bottom, from the side and all around it, allowing a certain level of friction to be felt at all times. Deimos soon broke out of this euphoric trance and turned his attention back to Lio’s unattended penis, that was still stiff but now lying flat on Lio’s abdomen. Deimos reached to his right and grabbed onto Lio’s member to continue his strokes. Once again, he began slowly, but was soon increasing the pace. The sudden reintroduction of friction was clearly sending signals of delight as muffled moaning could be heard from Lio’s preoccupied mouth, with his waist twitching and inching closer to Deimos’ hand, signalling his body’s approval. Deimos gladly obliged as he leaned forward, careful not to slide his penis out of Lio’s mouth, and stroked the back of Lio’s penis against his palm, as he attempted to pull back the foreskin and expose the sensitive areas of Lio’s member. Lio responded with an instinctive upward thrust of his pelvis, as his penis twitched in delight. Deimos then reluctantly pulled his rod out of Lio’s mouth and bent down to nibble his ear as he whispered.

‘I want you in me...’ Lio’s eyes opened immediately at the sound of those words as he turned to Deimos with an apprehensive look and replied.

‘You want what...?’ Deimos gave him a reassuring smile as he proceeded to sit on Lio’s chest, positioning his anus in front of Lio’s face. Lio was still unsure of whether he should entertain this request as a part of him still thought that Deimos was doing this out of guilt and not pleasure. His momentary silence was sending a very misleading signal to Deimos. Deimos then bent down toward Lio’s 7-inch rod that was already beginning to secrete its natural lubricant. Lio stared at Deimos’ now stretched out buttocks, still hesitant about getting it ready for any sort of penetration. Deimos then consciously spread his legs even more, revealing the hole that was now staring straight at Lio. As Lio continued to contemplate his decision, he was heavily distracted by the sensation he was beginning to feel from Deimos’ blowjob. Deimos worked on Lio’s penis diligently, coating it in a nice mix of pre-cum and saliva, lubricating it well and preparing it for insertion. Deimos would not lie that he too was fearful of what was to come, but his desire to offer himself up to Lio was very much stronger than that fear, which provided him the drive to continue his actions without much hesitation. The idleness of Lio was beginning to frustrate Deimos, so he descended his body even lower against Lio’s torso, pushing his buttocks even closer to Lio’s face. Lio was at a breaking point here, the eagerness of his partner was proving to be a little too much for him to manage, so he ultimately gave in. He stuck out his tongue and pushed it into Deimos’ anus, stroking the inside of his cavity and coating it generously with saliva. Deimos released Lio’s penis the moment he felt the initial intrusion into his anus and let out an instinctive groan; born from a mixture of discomfort and excitement. Deimos turned back momentarily to see Lio finally preparing his hole as a smile appeared on his face before turning his attention back to Lio’s shaft. Lio was not very experienced with lubricating the anus but he tried his best, after a series of licking he coated two of his fingers with saliva and inserted them into Deimos’ hole. The fingers performed a similar circular motion to try and open up the cavity, all of which was to reduce the amount of discomfort Deimos will feel later on. With each insertion of Lio’s finger, Deimos let out a moan, it was getting louder and louder each time, which was beginning to worry Lio as Deimos was never this vocal during sex. Lio stopped and placed his hands on Deimos’ waist, squeezing it tightly. Upon feeling this, Deimos turned his head back to face him as Lio said.

‘Are you... Are you alright? We don’t have to do thi-...’ Deimos then interrupted Lio by straightening his back and pressing his buttocks onto his mouth to shut him up. Deimos then turned around and looked at Lio with his glistening blue eyes, reflecting his eagerness. Lio’s heart melted at the sight of this as he sighed and smiled at Deimos, nodding as he continued to insert his fingers into Deimos. Deimos looked down at Lio’s now shiny penis, with a thick layer of pre-cum and saliva. Deimos then reeled himself in to sit on Lio’s abs, pushing his body up into a squatting position, with his anus directly above Lio’s shaft. This scene sent another wave of fear into Lio’s heart, ironically, as Deimos used his right hand to prop Lio’s penis upright, and inserted it slowly into his hole.

‘AHH!’ The instant Lio heard Deimos wailed in pain, he placed both his hands on the underside of Deimos’ thighs to relieve some of the weight to stop the insertion. Deimos held onto Lio’s wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze, signalling him that he was fine. Lio was starting to feel really uncomfortable with this process but did not want Deimos to feel rejected either. So Lio reluctantly removed his hands and allowed his penis to penetrate all the way into Deimos’ tight cavity. ‘Fuck...!’ Deimos muttered to himself as he felt the thick shaft slide intrusively into his body. While the initial penetration was painful, the feeling and realisation that Lio’s penis was inside him was a rather pleasant feeling. The moment the pain subsided, Deimos began moving his body up and down, using his rectum to stroke Lio’s now sensitive rod. Unsurprisingly, the initial thrusts were rather uncomfortable, but as Deimos’ hole loosened, he could begin concentrating on Lio’s penis stroking his prostate, which was sending a rather unusual form of pleasurable sensation up his spine. This feeling caused Deimos to speed up his body movement. Lio too was in heaven, with his shaft being so well serviced, but his mind was still in a little discomfort, knowing that his partner was in some degree of pain. The moment he heard Deimos moan in pleasure however, he started to help out by thrusting his hips. The twin movement was allowing the penis to reach deeper parts of the rectum, which also transmitted new forms of pleasure to the brains of the two men. The sexual pleasure that Deimos was experiencing was making him very horny, especially since this was something that his body has never experienced before, and this was evident as he managed to maintain his erection despite the lack of attention given to it. But now that Lio was able to relax, Deimos began focusing on his own penis, pleasuring himself through a series of gradual strokes with his hand. He tried his best to move his body and his hand in sync to avoid and unnecessary slips while maintaining the much needed friction on both rods. Deimos was working hard, and it could be seen through the amount of sweat that was now forming throughout his naked bare body. Lio ran his hands along Deimos’ now wet and tan back, appreciating the beauty from his still laid down position. Seeing how hard Deimos had worked thus far, Lio decided to take over from here. Lio sat up and ran his hands round Deimos’ waist to the front, resting them on his now hardened packs. He gave them a nice tight squeeze, which caused Deimos to open his eyes and look behind at Lio. Lio pushed his body upward to rest his face beside Deimos’ and whispered to him.

‘Let me...’ Deimos smiled and released his grip on his own penis, leaning back and wrapping his right arm around Lio’s neck while placing his left hand on the ground. Lio’s head was now under Deimos’ right armpit, as he used his right hand to grab firmly onto Deimos’ swollen penis. Lio’s left hand was placed underneath Deimos’ left thigh to support his body weight. Lio then mustered his strength to lift Deimos’ body slightly, so that his pelvis had enough room to thrust freely. Before he began however, he turned to Deimos and said, ‘Please stop me if you feel any pain...’ Deimos offered no verbal response but simply smiled at his lover, and placing his right hand on Lio’s right cheek. Lio returned the smile and immediately began thrusting. Deimos leaned his head back as he moaned loudly. Together with Lio’s stroking of his member, Deimos was in euphoria. As soon as he thought it could not get any better, Lio stuck out his tongue and began teasing his right nipple that was conveniently just beside his mouth. Lio gave everything he had to ensure Deimos was comfortable and above all else, enjoying their time together. Deimos could hardly resist the temptation to ejaculate, and so his body began continuing its vertical motion along Lio’s shaft. With the help of his hands that were held onto reliable supports, he began pushing and pulling, jerking his waist to not only stroke his prostate more but to inch Lio closer to his climax as well. Lio too was beginning to sweat now, coupling the fact that he was multi-tasking and that he was pressed up closely to his overheating partner. Lio was beginning to feel his orgasm coming dangerously close, so he asked abruptly. ‘Where do you want it?’ Deimos replied, amidst his heavy panting.

‘Wherever you want, Lio...’ Lio took some time to deliberate, before he mustered all his remaining strength to lift Deimos’ body weight high enough to free his penis from Deimos’ hole. He then lowered Deimos back down to sit on his abs, with Deimos’ penis sitting nicely beside his. Lio placed his right hand on the side of Deimos’ penis and Deimos placed his left hand on the side of Lio’s penis, forming a large circle. The two of them then began thrusting in unison, with both their rods brushing against the walls of each other’s hands and against the other party’s swollen member. Lio was the first to ejaculate, as his still shiny rod began an initial squirt of semen out and onto Deimos’ thumb. The subsequent squirts shot further and onto Deimos’ neck and body. In the midst of Lio’s orgasm, Deimos’ penis decided to unload as well. His squirts came out much more erratically and quickly, with the initial shot of watery semen flying straight toward his own chest and neck. The two of them were milking each other’s rod hard to squeeze every ounce of seed out, brushing and pressing exclusively on the head of each other’s penis, as residual droplets of white sperm continued to spew out and trickle down their worn out shafts. Deimos fell backward thoroughly exhausted and filthy, with both their loads now smeared all over his body. His heavy panting was quite a sight to behold for Lio, especially since he could also feel his heavy heartbeat. Lio cupped both their worn out penises together and offered them one more upward stroke so as to collect as much semen as he could on his right hand. With Deimos’ head now resting on Lio’s left shoulder, Lio had full view of Deimos’ exposed body and neck, a truly spectacular view in his opinion; a muscular grown tan male covered in semen, panting and exhausted. Lio took his time to enjoy his dessert, as he used his right hand to smear and spread the sticky mixture around Deimos’ abs. The moment Deimos realised what was going on, he tilted his head to the right to face Lio and opened his left eye to stare at Lio.

‘Stop playing... with your food...’ Lio chuckled as he used his index finger to scoop a large droplet of their mixed seed and fed it to Deimos. Deimos clamped his lips around Lio’s finger and licked it clean with his tongue before swallowing. Deimos offered Lio a smile as a sign of his approval to the taste. Deimos was about to reach down with his left hand to do the same, but Lio stopped him and said.

‘I rather have it directly off the plate...’ Deimos now opened both his eyes as he heard that. Lio lay Deimos against the wall gently as he bent his back to press his face on Deimos’ filthy body. He stuck out his tongue and began licking the areas that were coated in the white substance, swallowing after his tongue met with even a drop of semen. Lio started at Deimos’ firm abs, transitioning into gentle kisses against Deimos’ skin whenever he swallowed, which gave Deimos an ounce of pleasure, each time he felt Lio’s lips clamp lightly against his exposed skin. Deimos placed his hand on Lio’s head, following him as he worked diligently to clean his body up. As Lio reached Deimos’ nipples, he decided to take his time to clean that area up. He licked the nipple hardly, causing it to erect involuntarily, before he began teasing it with his tongue.

‘Ohh... Lio...’ Deimos resumed his moans of pleasure with his hand still placed behind Lio’s head as he continued licking Deimos’ tit. Once Lio had his fill, he continued upward to Deimos’ neck, where he decided to take his time too, licking and nibbling his way up. Deimos’ neck had a very sensual texture to it, much like his arms, where popping veins created a very erotic and inviting view. Lio wasted no time in coating Deimos’ neck with a messy layer of saliva as he tried his best to clean off the semen that made its way up there. As Lio was caressing Deimos’ neck with his mouth, he was running his hands along Deimos’ body, feeling every muscle along his torso. Lio enjoyed doing this very much, and he was glad Deimos could enjoy this process too. Lio then transitioned his right hand and placed it behind Deimos’ neck as he continued entertaining it. All this caressing was continuing to stir Deimos up, and as his panting subsided and he began to catch his breath, Deimos opened his eyes to see an inviting view directly in front of him; Lio’s biceps. Deimos uncontrollably leaned in and bit Lio on his bulging biceps, leaving a faint bite mark along with a few droplets of saliva. Lio felt the sudden bite and opened his eyes to see what had caused it. Seeing what Deimos was hungry for, Lio placed his hand against the wall behind Deimos to offer the entirety of his arm for Deimos to enjoy. Deimos wasted no time as he began running his tongue along the well-defined muscles that were now greeting his eyes. The heavy panting caused the veins that wrapped Lio’s arm muscles to pop and be exceedingly obvious, which really drove the sex appeal up, and fulfilling Deimos’ serious fetish. As he ran his tongue along the inside of Lio’s arm, his left hand caressed the outside of it, providing him a large dose of pleasure from two sources. The contours of Lio’s huge triceps were causing Deimos to begin twitching in excitement once again, along with the texture of the veins that circled Lio’s biceps were felt on his tongue. Deimos’ gears were beginning to turn again, but he was exhausted, and he knew he could not go for another round this quickly. No matter, because he was already pleasuring himself in other ways. Lio took a break from Deimos’ neck and sat on his chest before grabbing both of Deimos’ arms and holding them against the wall by the wrist using his right hand, disallowing Deimos any control over his arms. Lio then started providing a similar treatment that Deimos gave to him but a few moments ago; he began running his tongue along Deimos’ flexed biceps and triceps. As Lio worked his tongue along Deimos’ arms, it caused him to eventually straighten his back and position his still erected penis in front of Deimos’ face. Deimos cleared his throat as Lio continued licking Deimos’ palm, but noticed no response from him. Deimos saw it twitching, seeking for attention instinctively. So Deimos naughtily stuck out his tongue and brushed it along the underside of the erected shaft.

‘Ahh...!’ Lio moaned in pleasure the moment he felt Deimos’ tongue touch his worn out member. He looked down to see Deimos gently kissing and rubbing his lips against his penis. Lio was exceedingly tempted to go for another round and coat Deimos in yet another layer of his seed, but remembering his previous experience when bringing up this topic, he decided to just go with the flow. So Lio paid no heed to his stiffened rod, and continued enjoying himself along Deimos’ arms. Deimos was kissing and licking Lio’s penis along the middle but ultimately reached the tip of the still swollen member. He then impulsively took it back into his mouth. Lio stopped momentarily the moment he felt the warm moist chamber around his rod to let out a soft cry of approval. With his right hand still holding onto Deimos’ arms, he reached his left hand down and placed it behind Deimos’ head, assisting the slow blowjob service. As Deimos was enjoying the thick rod in his mouth, he opened his eyes to look up at Lio who happened to be looking down at him, beginning to pant as blood starting rushing back down toward the warming up penis. The desperate look on Deimos’ face sent an erotic signal up Lio’s spine, which fuelled the urge to ejaculate even more. Lio found himself tightening his grip on Deimos’ wrists and head as his pelvis began thrusting gently into Deimos’ mouth. Deimos saw the amount of pleasure he was giving Lio and he too enjoyed the moment. He shut his eyes, and allowed Lio to fulfil whatever lustful desires he had, as Deimos relaxed every muscle in his body except for his lips. As he felt Lio’s thrusting motions speed up ever so slightly, he responded with the tightening of his lips and the more vigorously brushing of his tongue against Lio’s now reinvigorated penis. Deimos used the tip of his tongue to constantly stroke the underside of the head, which was escalating Lio to his orgasm faster than he would care to admit.

‘Deimos, I’m...!’ Lio quickly tried to pull out but Deimos broke free from Lio’s grip and held him in position by his waist. Lio ejaculated his second load into Deimos’ mouth, quickly filling it up with fresh warm semen. Deimos swallowed after every squirt to make room for the next wave of seed that quickly exited the tip of Lio’s penis. Interestingly, Lio unloaded more semen in his second ejaculation, which surprised not only Deimos but Lio himself. He didn’t really care for logic at that point, however, as he continued thrusting into his lover’s mouth, feeding him with more and more of his essence as Deimos eagerly milked Lio dry. After the thrusting subsided, Lio was now the one who tumbled down and sat on Deimos, panting in exhaustion. Deimos slowly freed Lio’s penis from his oral prison as it exited with threads of saliva still attached to it. Deimos stared at the worn out member, and as soon as he saw droplets of semen coming out of the head, he would lean back in to lick it from the head, causing the penis to twitch slightly from over agitation. Lio looked down and admired the sight of his partner cleaning up after himself, with Deimos still licking his penis every now and then. Once Lio noticed that Deimos had stopped servicing his member, he shifted his body to sit on Deimos’ abdominal region and said.

‘Well, that was... intense...’ Deimos perked his eyebrows and smiled as he replied.

‘Which part?’ Lio smiled as he replied.

‘Every part...’ Deimos chuckled to himself as he ran his hands along Lio’s thighs that were conveniently by his side. Lio allowed a few moments of silence as the two stared at each other before he opened his mouth and asked nervously, ‘So how was the...’ Deimos smiled and squeezed Lio’s thighs saying.

‘It was heavenly. Never thought I would enjoy having someone else’s dick in my ass so much.’ Lio was genuinely surprised to hear that, after witnessing the process, he was pretty convinced of the sheer discomfort the process brought about. But a part of him was glad to hear that his partner was brave enough to try something new and more importantly, emerge more satisfied than before. Deimos then continued, ‘I was afraid at first that I couldn’t handle yours, considering how huge it is...’ Lio looked down at his now flaccid penis that was resting comfortably on Deimos’ firm sweaty abs and chuckled to himself. Even when it’s not hardened, it was still fairly large. Lio then placed his hands on Deimos’ side and said.

‘As long as you’re happy...’ Deimos smiled as he reached his right hand out and placed it round Lio’s neck to pull him in for a kiss.

Stero and Bron gathered the hunters from Astera and began their training. Not training for combat, of course, but training for labour. They had planned rigorous schedules of physical training to build their strength. They had also planned for mentally torturous exercises to not only test the hunter’s mental capabilities but to a certain degree, dampen their spirits; for it was easier to control individuals who have lost hope. They had to work for their livelihood; completed tasks were awarded with credits, and credits were used to exchange for food and water. Many of their dormitories were emptied and demolished to make room for large contraptions and manufacturing purposes, which led to almost ten hunters sharing a space that was previously used to house two. There were individuals who chose to rebel, and were used as an example to the rest. Stero was overjoyed when she met with her first rebellious hunter; a senior hunter from the second fleet. She starved her for two days, with no food or water while she continued to carry out her daily duties, before publically whipping her in front of the rest of the hunters, to show them the consequence of disobedience. The rebellious hunter gave in and eventually fell back in line. Bron, while not as cruel as his sister, had his own fair share of malice. Bron had an acute attention to detail, and while that was a trait that most people associated with positively, it was not something Bron used for good. His meticulousness was used to detect hunters who skive. Couple this with his indifferent attitude, it is no wonder Bron was always seen as the sibling with a heart of stone. While he found no pleasure in torturing people, he certainly had no issue achieving his goals at the expense of others.

‘So how is the progress coming along?’ Arges asked as he approached his siblings.

‘These sacks of shit are useless!’ Stero screamed in annoyance.

‘Now now, even shit is useful if you know how to use it properly... Get creative sister, I’m sure you’ll figure something out.’ Arges smirked as he replied. Even though their construction of their equipment was coming out at a steady pace, it was still not fast enough. The three of them had little time left, and they were very aware of it. They would do anything within their means and power to achieve the will of their father, and that was a price that Astera had been forced to pay on their behalf. Bron spoke up, updating Arges on the situation.

‘We’ve also heard about a hunting party that left in search of Zorah. Apparently they brought their best hunters along with their lead scholar. The old man has apparently sent for their retur-...’ Arges interrupted Bron as he said calmly.

‘Why was I not informed...?’ Bron perked his eyebrow lethargically as he replied.

‘What do you think I’m doing now?’ Arges looked away, a smile slowly forming across his face as he turned his back on his siblings, commenting.

‘It just keeps getting interesting...’

Phil gathered Emis and Rea to continue their discussion on how they should handle the situation until Argos returns with his request. They met near the research facility, directly below the canteen, a spot that was rather inconspicuous.

‘I have sent word to the guild, hopefully Argos returns quickly with what I need...’ Rea then questioned.

‘And what exactly do you need from the guild?’ Phil frowned at Rea and replied fiercely.

‘Orders of course! You don’t expect me to follow that lunatic’s command and lead Astera into a shithole do you?!’ Emis then questioned.

‘But the fact that the order was signed by Ranus, doesn’t that mean that the guild is backing them up?’ Phil shook his head as he replied.

‘I refuse to believe that the guild would support this kind of madness. Killing Zorah? Since when has the guild stood for murder?’ Rea then spoke up.

‘Or maybe there’s something we don’t know, something tha-...’ Phil interrupted Rea once again as he replied in agitation.

‘No! Even if Zorah had to be put down, since when has it been in the form of sending warmongers and mercenaries? This goes against everything the guild stands for!’ Emis turned to look at Rea, who was struggling to accept what Phil was saying, but was beginning to see truth in it, as the two of them fell silent, unable to offer any rebuttal. Emis then gave in asking.

‘So then what do we do?’ Phil sighed before saying.

‘For now, I guess we have no choice but to comply. I fear what is to come if we should go against them.’ Rea then perked her head up and said.

‘It’s only the three of them against the whole Astera, why can’t we...’ Phil enlarged his eyes and said.

‘Correction, it’s Astera against the guild at this point. We stand alone, for now...’ Phil looked up and saw the dampened spirits of his council members. He felt hopeless as a leader, and really yearned the return of Rion, especially during difficult times like these. He placed his hands on both their shoulders saying, ‘Let’s press on, for the sake of Astera.’ Emis and Rea nodded in response to that, as the small gathering disbanded. As Phil was walking toward the dormitories, he saw Arges walking toward him with an unusual frown across his face. Arges walked up to Phil and said to him calmly.

‘Why didn’t you tell me about the hunting party that left to pursue Zorah?’ Phil replied confidently.

‘It must’ve slipped my mind.’ Arges laughed as he started circling Phil as he spoke.

‘Do you know what I love about power?’ Arges gave Phil a brief moment to genuinely think about the question. ‘I can do whatever it is I want.’ Arges then drew a shiny black dagger from his belt and slit the throat of an innocent passerby that was carrying a crate of supplies. The passerby fell to the ground, and began shivering in fear as the floor was tainted with scarlet red blood. Phil knelt down by the victim and placed his hand on his throat, futilely trying to slow down the bleeding. Before long, the victim lay motionless and dead in Phil’s arms. Phil was engulfed with rage but mustered the strength to resist the urge to lash back, for he knew the consequences should he succumb to his rage. Arges squat down next to Phil while cleaning the blood from his dagger using a small cloth. Arges smiled at Phil as he reminded him, ‘Glory or pain, the choice is yours...’ Arges placed the blood-soaked cloth in Phil’s hands as he got up and walked off.


	40. Power of Creation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wishing one and all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!
> 
> Enjoy, and God Bless!

Phil squat beside the dead cold body of the innocent bystander, still in shock and rage at what Arges did. He had to find a way to fix this, but it seemed that the only way to do so while ensuring everyone’s safety was to comply, at least for the time being. All these decisions gnawed at Phil’s conscience, but as a leader, making difficult decisions was part of the deal. Phil signalled a group of hunters to help dispose of the body properly. The hunters brought the corpse to the edge of the Ancient Forest to bury him there, allowing his soul to return to nature. Phil was certain of his goal, but was unsure of how to achieve it. It was beginning to take a toll on him as others are paying the price for his deeds. As soon as all hope seemed lost, he noticed a familiar sail on a familiar ship returning to Astera; the Argosy. As soon as it docked, Phil ran straight to the ship and found Argos, who wore a worried look on his face.

‘So? Did you manage t-...’ Argos placed his finger over his lips and cut Phil off.

‘Not here. I will look for you when it’s safe. I have troubling news.’ Phil reflected Argos’ look of concern but backed off quickly. He noticed the supplies that he requested for had arrived, and decided to look for Arges to report to him. Phil figured that if the action he was about to do made himself feel good, he probably should not do it, and vice versa. Phil found Arges at the dormitories together with Bron, probably discussing on how to further increase the pace of their work. Phil approached them and said.

‘Sir, your requested materials have arrived.’ Arges turned to look at Phil and smiled.

‘Very good.’ Arges then turned to Bron and said, ‘Get some of them to carry the stuff over, I want this thing up and running in three days time. Bron sniggered as he replied.

‘Unrealistic, as usual...’ Arges laughed as he said.

‘And yet, I always end up getting it done...’ Bron lifted his eyebrow at his brother, unamused, before leaving his side to gather a few hunters. Arges turned to Phil and continued, ‘I need you to speak to Rea, was it? Your quartermaster? To get the logistics ready.’ Phil looked at Arges, confused as he replied.

‘Ready for what?’ Arges raised his eyebrows at Phil and replied calmly.

‘Ready for battle.’

Lio was lying beside Deimos, with his right arm bent at the elbow, using his knuckles to support his head on his right cheeks. He had his left hand rested on Deimos’ chest feeling his slow but strong heartbeat as he stared intently at his partner. Deimos had his eyes shut but was very awake, he was just resting after their rather intensive sex routine. Deimos had both his arms bent backwards, with his hands, one over the other, placed behind his head. Once he allowed his eyes enough rest, he opened his left eye and turned his head slightly to look at Lio, who was still staring at him affectionately.

‘You know I can’t sleep with you staring at me like that...’ Lio then plastered a cheeky smile as he replied.

‘Really? I do this every night and you seem to sleep just fine.’ Deimos now opened both his eyes and stared at Lio shockingly. Lio burst out laughing and pinched Deimos’ left cheek with his right hand as he said, ‘You’re so adorable... and stupid...’ Deimos, at the sound of that word, sat up immediately and rebutted.

‘Yeah, it’s no wonder I chose you as my partner then...’ Lio squint his eyes and placed his left hand over his chest, muttering in response.

‘Ouch!’ The two of them got dressed slowly but picked up the pace when they heard footsteps drawing closer to their small cosy abode. Rion emerged from the entrance and looked at the two men on the floor as he said.

‘Get dressed, we need to move.’ Lio stood up and asked.

‘What’s happening, dad?’ Rion replied.

‘The tremor earlier on, that wasn’t Zorah.’ Lio frowned and turned back to look at Deimos who was also getting up from the ground. Lio then turned back to look at his father and asked.

‘What do you mean that wasn’t Zorah?’ Rion then said.

‘I think it’ll be easier if I showed you...’ At this, Rion turned around and left to regroup the rest of the team. Lio turned back and helped Deimos up as they followed Rion closely behind.

‘What time is it...?’ Rhen asked in annoyance as she was rubbing her eyes. Rhodes nudged her with her elbow and whispered.

‘It’s late, but something’s happening...’ Dr Ena spoke up.

‘The commander and Eros were making their rounds earlier on where they caught a glimpse of the large crystal formation at the Everstream.’ Rhen then asked in an agitated tone.

‘Yeah ok, so?’ Dr Ena turned to her and replied irritatingly.

‘The crystal formation is destroyed. It’s gone.’ Rhodes enlarged her eyes at the sound of the troubling news.

‘Gone?! What do you mea-...’ Rion then interrupted abruptly.

‘I think we would all love to stick around and talk this through, but this is just proof that Zorah isn’t waiting for anyone. I know we are all tired, but I fear that time is no longer on our side...’ Just as Rion finished saying this, another tremor was felt. This one was nowhere as violent as the first, but could be felt nonetheless. Rion’s gaze toward the Elder’s Recess was starting to intensify as he raised his voice saying. ‘Let’s move’.

The team moved quickly and soon found themselves at the end of the cave, which brought them through and past the volcanoes, into the heart of the region that lie beyond; the Elder’s Recess. It was a natural wonder, with similar crystalline formations littering the backdrop of the scenery. Even the volcanic rock had interesting hexagonal formations that created rather symmetrical-looking walls. All manner of gemstones were able to form here under the immense heat and extreme conditions. Deep within the heart of the area was the beating heart of the Recess, where a fountain of lava spewed and overflowed from the earth’s crust, melting rocks and minerals, creating suitable conditions for impure substances to break down and form nutrient rich minerals for its inhabitants here. Due to the large number of volcanoes here, the skies were also perpetually filled with ash, which created the perfect environment for thunderstorm clouds. Lightning could be seen striking almost every minute, as nature attempts to balance the potential difference between the ground and the sky. These large spikes in energy were also crucial in ensuring that the region was supplied with important nutrient rich minerals. The team found themselves on a small cliff as they exited the cave, which provided a gorgeous view of the Recess. Though not the most elevated platform, it was high enough for them to take in the spectacle. Deimos was dumbfounded, which caused his jaw to drop, literally. Lio noticed and chuckled to himself, as he used his right hand to gently push his chin back up, saying.

‘Your jaw’s dropping, dear...’ Deimos turned to Lio and pushed his face away with his left hand, unappreciative of the tease. Rion led the team forward, heading toward the large crystal formations in the backdrop, assuming that that was where Zorah would most likely be headed. The team carried on moving forward, and was met with a rather gentle slope. Seeing as the crystal formation was upward, they wasted no time and began scaling the upward slope. Before they reached the top of the slope, however, the ground began rumbling once again. Rhen shouted as this was happening.

‘Can’t this fat shit just stand still for one second?! Even its fart causes some sort of volcanic eruption!’ Dr Ena then shouted back.

‘I don’t think this is Zorah!’ The team turned to look at Dr Ena, and started surveying their surroundings. The tremors were getting more and more violent, until suddenly a golden wheel appeared from the top of the slope, rolling downward and directly at the squad. Everyone rolled over to the sides to make way for this rampaging beast, which rolled all the way to the bottom of the slope. The moment the team thought they were safe, the wheel turned to its left and rolled against the wall to circle and change its direction seamlessly, and was now rolling against gravity and back at the squad again. After witnessing this, the hunters drew their weapons, preparing for a fight. Rion turned to Rhodes and said to her.

‘You and Dr Ena should get out of here.’ Rhodes then replied.

‘So should you, sir!’ Rion was about to refuse but noticed Lio looking at him, signalling him to go. Rion sighed to himself and sheathed his hammer, following Rhodes along with Dr Ena as they ran up the slope. The creature charged directly at the hunters as they leapt to the side in safety. The rolling creature made a similar manoeuvre and was now coming back at the team once again, now from the top of the hill again. Deimos decided to stand his ground now, with Rhen taking flight, and Lio and Eros moving over to the sides to try and get an angle on the beast. This time the creature stopped just before colliding with Deimos to unravel itself from its wheel-like stance to swing its body to continue the rolling momentum and smash the ground with its large and thick protruding chin. Deimos resisted the direct blow of the beast with his shield, feeling his muscles strain immensely at the incredible force. Even with the shield absorbing and reflecting the majority of the impact, Deimos’ stamina could feel the pinch whenever he took a direct blow this way. He slid backwards a few metres due to the sheer force of the creature’s blow, and lowered his shield to take a good look at his adversary. The creature now stood in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes with its own menacing red eyes. The creature had a rather strange body shape; it was elongated like a worm, with golden stubs protruding from its back from the top of its head all the way to the tip of its tail. The underside of its body was black and coated with a layer of grease, with holes that glowed red in colour. It had four limbs, two hands and two legs, with only its legs supporting the entirety of its body weight. At the bottom of its head was a large protrusion that looked like a large chunk of gravel glued to its chin. The shining beast was now reeling its head inward, letting out a low-pitched growl, before it lift its head and slammed it back down toward Deimos. Deimos stubbornly took the blow directly once again, relying totally on his shield for cover. Having absorbed two direct blows to his shield, it was now glowing red with energy. Seeing the monster recovering, Deimos made use of this opportunity to morph into his clunky axe and swing it diagonally upward. The moment the axe collided with the thick chin of the monster, Deimos’ axe rebounded, causing his arm to swing back violently, and sending his body twisting out of balance. It was at this moment that Lio and Eros wasted no time and went straight for the creature’s belly. Lio performed a slow but powerful sideways swing of his greatsword, colliding it nicely with the greasy part of the beast. The heavy blade slid past the lubricated flesh but managed to chip a part of the golden stubbed back of the monster, which caused it to turn its attention away from Deimos momentarily. Eros stuck his sharp blade into one of the cavities on the creature, cutting nicely into the much softer flesh that lined the inside of the hole. Thinking this was a good move on his part, his enthusiasm quickly vanished when a reddish rock, about the size of his head, rolled out of the hole and landed between his feet. Much like the Bazelgeuse’s scale, it looked harmless and was not showing any visual threats, so Eros ignored it as he continued cutting away at the creature’s abdomen. Rhen was having difficulty since the back of the golden creature was where its defences where mainly at. So she decided to land and take the fight on the ground instead. The moment she landed, she noticed the ground starting to litter with the rocky pods and soon found out who was the cause of it and so shouted.

‘You moron! Stop making it lay eggs!’ At those words, Eros stopped and turned to face Rhen. The creature’s tail swung over from Eros’ right as it turned to face Lio, scraping one of the rocky pods in the process. A similar scene was now playing before the hunters as the pod began shaking and glowing red hot before exploding violently, leaving nothing on the ground but a burnt mark. The explosion primed neighbouring pods, causing a similar chain reaction. The hunters found themselves frantically dancing across the battlefield, trying hard to not only dodge the exploding pods but the large brutish wyvern as well. Rhen skilfully dodged the exploding pods, being very experienced with fighting under such circumstances, and found herself beside the beast in no time. She was now delivering a flurry of slashes, careful not to hit the cavities that Eros foolishly ignored previously. She aimed her blows at the creature’s leg, attempting to cripple it. Just before the creature was about to deal with Lio, the sudden sensation of Rhen slashing its right leg began filling its mind. Eros’ poison from his blade had also begun seeping into its bloodstream, causing it a great deal of discomfort. Out of frustration, the creature reeled its head back once again, taking in a deep breath. Steam could now be seen forming around the cavities along its belly and as the monster straightened its back horizontally, streams of fire exited from the multiple holes along its abdomen, engulfing the surrounding in flames. The hunters were not expecting something like this, and so dodged out of the way just in the nick of time. Deimos waited for the creature to stop spewing fire before lifting his axe overhead and dropping it on its left foot. The heavy blade sunk right into its toe, creating enough energy to release its energy as well. Deimos’ charge blade released its energy in shockwaves, causing the tough and rigid defences of the creature to begin working against it. The strong energies coupled with the stiff structure of the beast made it exceedingly easy for the creature’s scales to lose its integrity. The beast retreated away from Deimos in pain, taking its time to recuperate. The creature turned its attention back to Deimos, and arched its back and lifted its chin.

Just as the creature was about to perform another forward roll toward him, a loud and vicious roar was heard, drawing the attention of not only the hunters but the creature as well. The roar seemed to be coming from their left, but there was no opening, only a solid rock wall was seen. But their ears did not lie, as a second roar was now heard, louder and much nearer. Soon, the solid rock wall started turning into a bright pale red, before a large vicious explosion blew a generously large hole in the wall, sending large debris flying toward both the hunters and the creature. The hunters rolled away and out of danger as the beast used its tail to effortlessly shield its head from the oncoming projectiles. They eagerly looked at the darkened hole formed in the wall, and heard a high pitched growl coming from it. A large blue figure emerged slowly from the cave, with green slime covering its horn and its stubbed hands. Rhen started shaking her head as she mumbled to herself.

‘Nope, nope, no no no...’ She then turned to the rest and signalled them that they should probably leave. Lio observed the situation and was keen on listening to Rhen, as he mirrored her gestures to Deimos. The hunters tried to sneak around the commotion, and creep up the hill slowly, while still maintaining their vision on the two. The blue lizard walked up slowly to the golden reptile with the golden brute initiating its first move. It turned its back viciously to swing its tail at the blue lizard. The blue wyvern skilfully dodged to the side, using its stubbed hands like crutches to push itself away from the hit zone of the tail. It then thrust forward with its blunt protruding horn that was covered in a viscous green fluid. It smeared a generous amount on the golden creature’s back and side. It caused no visible reaction from the creature, as it turned its body to face its adversary and once again, lifting its chin attempting to crush its foe. But the intelligent slimy beast now used its blunt knuckles to deliver a punch from under the chin. Unlike Deimos’ axe, this blow was strong enough to send the creature tumbling backwards. Once again, this coated the chin of the beast with the same greenish substance, which did not seem to be causing any sort of harm. The rolling menace now decided to take a more brutish approach as it positioned itself back into the wheel posture. It began rolling quickly toward the slimy creature, but just as they were about to collide, the blue wyvern delivered a sideward blow with its right arm, directly hitting the head of the golden wheel, and sending it flying to the side. Now the creature was thoroughly covered in slime that was no longer green, but now slowly turning into a hot, pale red colour; similar to the glow they witnessed on the rocky wall before the explosion happened. Then, as if on cue, the slime ignited spontaneously and exploded violently, scalded and chipping away parts of the creature’s flesh. The golden lizard took its last breath before collapsing onto the ground, motionless. As the hunters witnessed this gruesome scene, Rhen shouted at them again to break their foolish trance.

‘Let’s go, you baboons!’ The three guys broke their fixated gaze and ran up the hill. They made it to the top, where the path opened up to a large open area where Rion, Rhodes and Dr Ena were hiding. Rion stood up the moment he saw them and asked.

‘Everyone alright?’ Lio nodded at his father. Dr Ena approached them and said.

‘I should’ve known that was Uragaan territory. The circular rut tracks on the ground should have been obvious enough. I hope it didn’t give you guys too much trouble...’ Rhen shook her head and replied casually.

‘Golden boy died.’ Dr Ena’s eye enlarged in amazement as he asked.

‘You guys managed to kill it?!’ Deimos frowned at Dr Ena and shook his head.

‘No, something els-...’ Rhen interrupted Deimos, saying.

‘Slimy blue came out of nowhere and blew Ura-dog to pieces. It’s barbequed meat now.’ Dr Ena maintained his enlarged eyes but not out of amusement now but out of fear as he said.

‘No... Don’t tell me... Brachydios...?’ Rion turned to Dr Ena with a certain degree of concern on his face.

‘Is that creature going to be a problem, doctor?’ Dr Ena shook his head violently and replied.

‘Not a problem, no. But an inconvenience, definitely. Let’s just hope we do not encounter it again during our stay here.’ Rion looked at the rest of the team to see how much more they could manage with minimal rest. As everyone was sheathing their weapons, Deimos revealed his badly bruised right arm. Lio noticed it and started fretting again.

‘Deimos! What happened to you-...’ Deimos placed his left hand over Lio’s mouth and glared at him furiously. Lio loosened his gaze and calmed himself down, returning an apologetic look to his partner. Once Deimos saw this, he loosened his grip on Lio’s mouth, as Lio continued, softly this time. ‘What happened?’

‘I took a few direct hits from, who was it? Uragaan? Yeah, it was a little stronger than I expected...’ Lio couldn’t take his eyes off the large bruises on Deimos’ forearms where the straps of his shield would normally be. Deimos noticed Lio’s concerned look and hit Lio’s shoulder lightly with the back of his hand, snapping him out of it. ‘Hey, it’s nothing. I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.’ Lio looked back up at Deimos and pleaded.

‘Let me tend to it at least? To make myself feel better...’ Deimos rolled his eyes but a smile emerged from his face as he offered his right arm to Lio. Lio held it gently with both his hands as he brought the bruises to his lips, pressing against them gently. He gave the bruises a light kiss, before returning Deimos his arm. Rion noticed Deimos’ injury but pretended not to as he suggested they rest for the day. They found a small opening that led into a cave with a larger than usual water body, which served as a good place to make camp for the rest of the night. It was compact and communal, with no segmentation. Everyone took their spots and lay down, exhausted, falling almost instantly asleep. Deimos too was exhausted, feeling his body begging for rest as he lay down on his back, his eyelids shutting automatically. Lio lay by his side and wrapped Deimos’ left arm around his neck, forcing an embrace. Lio drew himself in and rested on Deimos’ left chest, allowing his slow heartbeat lull him to sleep.

Argos scheduled a meeting with Phil at the canteen where they would meet for dinner and where Argos would update Phil on his request. The canteen no longer served its previously scrumptious food. It now sacrificed its indulgent options with cheaper and more practical options, like plain, tough animal meats that provided large amounts of protein. Foods with little to no fat and simple sources of carbohydrates like potatoes and tapioca. Some of the palicoes have never even seen some of these ingredients in their life before and therefore found it challenging to cook with them but they had to find a way, lest Arges or one of his siblings takes things into their own hands. Argos raised his simple mug of water, offering a cheer with Phil. Phil looked up in disgust and said.

‘You expect me to be happy during a time like this?’ Argos smiled at him and said.

‘It is because of times like these that you have to make your own happiness. Come, there’s still much to be happy for.’ Phil sniggered at his old friend as he picked up his mug and collided it with Argos’. After they drank a mouthful, they lowered their mugs and started eating. Argos then started updating Phil the moment he checked that none of the three siblings were within earshot.

‘I met with Ranus, he was expecting me at the embassy.’ Phil widened his eyes at that, and was a little confused. He offered no verbal response, so Argos continued. ‘He urged us to resist, to slow things down without making it look intentional. He said that there are things happening within the guild that caused this but he didn’t really have time to explain it to me.’ Phil then replied.

‘Are you telling me that the guild is compromised?’ Argos nodded reluctantly as he placed Ranus’ sapphire amulet on the table.

‘I believe so, old friend...’

Back in the guild, a meeting was being held by Phaestus. The agenda was not only to update the council on the progress of their endeavour, but also to discuss on future plans. Ranus was joined with the other chiefs of the council; namely Aia, Mera, Zys and Tarus. Mera was the head of overseeing the communal policies and social implications the actions of the hunter’s guild had on the world. Zys was in-charge of the innovation of nature for the betterment of mankind, in other words, Phaestus was under his care. Tarus headed the department of economy, making use of nature to prosper as one harmonious ecosystem. Finally Aia, was in command of the department of morality. Her duty was to keep everyone’s moral compasses in check, and not to allow human greed overpower their underlying purpose of coexistence between nature and humankind. It is during these trying times that her efforts are put to the test as the council, for the first time in many years, is experiencing a serious moral issue. Phaestus has managed to not only dangle an enticing route of power and control, but he has also successfully planted a generous amount of fear within its board members. You see, over the years, Phaestus always believed that creating weapons of mass destruction was a way of ensuring nature could be controlled and kept in check. Playing God was his idea of coexistence, he wanted a hierarchy where humans would stand above the rest. Understandable, since intelligence often bred arrogance, it was natural of him to think highly of his kind in comparison to a wild animal who lives its everyday life hunting for food and territory. To Phaestus, trivial and mundane lives like that could never be compared to that of humanity, where progress in science and technology had brought the race so far given the same amount time and resources. This sort of thinking was clearly shunned upon in the beginning, but with the discovery of the New World, Phaestus saw an opportunity, and he took it. Unfortunately, he succeeded.

In the recent months, when Zorah Magdaros was first discovered, Astera would send back samples regularly for the research team in the Old World to perform more thorough investigation. It was because of this process, that Phaestus found his leverage. He worked closely with the research team and made sure he was the first to receive the laboratory results. He kept them selfishly to himself and spent countless hours studying the implications of the results, or rather, possible implications. You see, Phaestus did not need hard facts, he just needed possibilities. Possibilities of fear, panic and power. He carefully planned the release of these findings, and prepared a convincing yet terrifying speech to the board members, convincing them of the threat Zorah Magdaros posed, but also the potential to flourish, should they allow him to carry out his plan. Ranus could see right through Phaestus but was powerless to stop him, since the majority of the council had bought Phaestus’ ploy. Phaestus seduced Zys with the potential for power, showing evidence of the unparalleled strength in weapons when infused with the magma samples of Zorah itself. Phaestus then enticed Tarus with the rise in economic power, if they seized this opportunity to obtain a monopoly over such a resource. Selling the material at an inflated rate for purposes of not only weaponry, but even energy, would mean potential for the guild to run in ways that they could only dream of. And finally Mera was chilled to the bone with the social implications Zorah may cause if it was allowed to roam the lands unchecked and uncontrolled. The simple yet unlikely possibility that such a powerful being allowed to roam freely may one day decide to annihilate our human race was a scenario that Phaestus illustrated to the board members with unnecessary detail. Phaestus knew the limitations of his plan, and so did not even bother trying to convince the husband and wife pair; Aia and Ranus, knowing full well that his sister and brother-in law could see right through to him. But it was not a cause of concern, he had the majority of the board behind him, and that’s all he needed to maintain.

‘As you all know, the plan is going well. My three loyal children are carrying out the will of their father, and the guild, diligently as we speak. The weapon, is almost ready.’ Zys smiled at that report, while Tarus offered no expressional reaction. Mera then asked.

‘And how are the people in Astera taking this? Surely it must come as quite a shock for them. How are their well-beings being taken care of, Phaestus?’ Phaestus turned to Mera and bowed gently as he responded.

‘Yes, they are being well taken care of. My daughter, Stero, assures me that their mental and spiritual well-being is of her upmost priority. She tells me that she has imbued them with new purpose, and are more invigorated than ever.’ Ranus was trying hard to control his rage as he heard this misleading information presented to the council. Ranus then spoke up.

‘Enough of this, you didn’t summon this council today to brag about your achievements, Phaestus. What development do you have for us?’ Phaestus flashed Ranus a cunning grin before turning his back to the council and digging into his bag for some documents. He turned back around with two files in his hand; one green and one blue. The green file contained research information, and so he started with that. He placed them on a projector so that everyone could read as he explained the findings.

‘Our researchers have found something else within Zorah’s samples. They have managed to isolate its energy profile, but have found it to be of a foreign type. The life-giving kind.’ Tarus raised his brow and asked.

‘Life-giving kind? What do you mean?’ Phaestus smiled at him and responded.

‘It means that the use of this energy could, theoretically, create life. This is why it is so powerful, because this is energy in its purest form. So if we could get our hands on it...’ Aia then asked.

‘Why do you speak as if you can harvest this energy from Zorah? Isn’t Zorah dying?’ Phaestus paused in hesitation, before turning to Aia to answer.

‘Sister, have you seen the size of the beast? Even nearing its death, harvesting the creature could supply our guild with enough energy to function for at least another century!’ Zys and Tarus turned to look at each other, with excitement in their eyes. Ranus then interrupted.

‘Is that all you have for us, Phaestus?’ Phaestus looked up at Ranus and replied.

‘No, not really.’ He fished out the blue file and showed them the blueprints of the device that was going to contain the energy safely. ‘This is the device that we will use to contain the energy that is harvested. Of course, with such complex equipment, I do require additional fundin-...’ Ranus interrupted Phaestus saying.

‘You have already drained the guild of a quarter of its funding for your weapon!’ Phaestus let out a soft sigh and a momentary gaze at his brother-in law before his smile returned as he replied.

‘Well, yes, but surely you understand that when we are dealing with such dangerous and volatile substances, I would only use the best to ensure not only the safe return of the vessel, but also those who are tasked to escort it back. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable to demand that of the guild.’ Ranus glared at Phaestus, feeling extremely uneasy and furious that he was still doing a decent job of convincing the board of his actions. Phaestus then continued as he turned to look at Mera. ‘Besides, the well-being of the people will always be my upmost priority, for without them, our work cannot be done...’ Mera squint her eyes at Phaestus, cautioning him to tread carefully. Zys broke the tension in the air by raising his hand and announcing.

‘You have my support, Phaestus.’ Tarus followed suit.

‘And mine...’ Mera hesitantly raised her hand saying.

‘Bring it home, safely...’ Phaestus bowed at Mera, replying.

‘I will do my best.’ At this, Ranus stood up and dismissed the council hastily. The room vacated quickly, leaving only Ranus and Aia in the board room. Aia went over to Ranus and placed her hand on his cheek saying.

‘There’s nothing more you could’ve done dear, leave it.’ Ranus turned to her and replied.

‘I cannot think like that Aia, I have to do something!’ Aia then reassured him.

‘You have already done all that you can. Speaking to Argos, warning Astera, even sabotaging Phaestus’ power reactor. What more could you do?’ Ranus turned to Aia and gave a weak smile as he replied.

‘I’m not even sure all that will matter if Phaestus gets his way with things. You and I both know that he’s up to something, and if he knew...’ Aia flashed a surprised look when Ranus stopped himself from finishing his sentence. So she prompted.

‘What is it?’ Ranus looked away and started saying.

‘Did you notice Phaestus’ power core containing a switch?’ Aia looked away to try and recall the image flashed on the screen just minutes ago.

‘No, I don’t think there was.’ Ranus then pondered.

‘You would need a switch to close the circuit once you’re done extracting the energy from Zorah wouldn’t you?’ Aia nodded, as she too was beginning to see something going seriously amiss. Ranus continued thinking aloud, ‘So the fact that his reactor has no switch, it can only mean...’ Ranus’ pupils dilated as he turned to face Aia. Aia’s eyes were equally wide as the two stared at each other and said in unison.

‘He knows!’


	41. Unnatural Equilibrium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year to one and all. May this year be a fruitful and meaningful one for everyone!

‘Are you sure this will work? What will become of...’ An unfamiliar male voice emerged from Deimos’ left as he struggled to open his eyes.

‘There are no guarantees. But a small chance is better than none, yes?’ said another unfamiliar male voice that was of a considerably higher pitch. Then, the same familiar female voice emerged from Deimos’ left.

‘What will happen if this fails?’ A brief silence fell upon the room, before the voice on his right said.

‘They will die. But his brother is strong, and more importantly, he is willing. I have confidence tha-...’ The female voice interrupted his sentence as she said.

‘Your confidence will not ensure their safety, doctor...’ A soft chuckle could be heard from the male as he replied arrogantly.

‘Don’t forget that you came to me. This is what I offer. Take it or leave it.’ Deimos struggled to move as he found himself in the similar laid down position. As the conversation faded into an inaudible muffle, he began feeling an unnaturally warm sensation on his chest. It started gradually, but eventually became exceedingly uncomfortable. He began struggling and jerking his body from left to right but found himself unable to move much. He felt a familiar frailty he did when he had the similar dream previously, and the feeling was suffocating. With this added warming sensation, the discomfort was starting to become unbearable. Deimos began gritting his teeth and digging his nails into the fabric of the surface he was laying on. Every muscle in his body began to tense up, as his body temperature continued rising. Sweat began forming around his forehead, trickling down along his temple. He shut his eyes in discomfort and was unsure how much more of this he could endure.

‘... Deimos...’ Deimos heard a weak cry, but was in too much discomfort to pay it any heed.

‘... Deimos...!’ There it was again, this time much louder. He felt someone clasp their hands round his shoulders but was in too much pain to open his eyes to see who it was.

‘DEIMOS!’ Deimos’ eyes shot wide open and back into reality, seeing Lio’s face on top of him, with both his hands on his shoulder. Deimos was sweating and panting as he stared blankly at Lio. Phobos’ face emerged slowly from above, revealing the inverted image of his familiar companion’s feline face. The two of them staring worriedly at Deimos as he caught his breath. Lio wiped the sweat from Deimos’ forehead and rested his right palm on Deimos’ cheek. ‘Bad dream again?’ Lio asked. Deimos shut his eyes again in exhaustion and let out a heavy sigh as he nodded his head. He placed his right arm over his eyes as he said.

‘I have no idea why I’m getting these dreams all of a sudden... I rarely get nightmares...’ Lio sat up and asked.

‘These dreams? So you mean it’s the same as the previous one?’ Before Deimos could answer, Phobos started pushing Deimos’ head back and forth with his tiny paws, making strange noises as he did this. Deimos then grumbled as he said.

‘Yeah it was similar. But I have no idea what is going on in the dream.’ Phobos then started hitting Deimos’ head with his tiny paws. Nothing too painful, but it was sending a signal of disapproval. Deimos lifted his arm and tilted his head back to stare at his furry companion. ‘Yes buddy, what is it?’

‘Hrreeyoooh...!!!’ Deimos frowned at him and said.

‘What do you mean it’s a sign? Sign of what?’ Phobos then continued hitting Deimos’ head in frustration as he continued making strange noises. Deimos sat up and patted Phobos on the head, asking. ‘What is up with you lately? Acting all strange...’

‘Yeerrroohh!’ Deimos opened his eyes wider, saying.

‘Ohh I’m strange now? What the hell did I...’ Phobos interrupted him as he hissed.

‘KEEEE...!’ Deimos now frowned at him and said.

‘Stop calling me stupid! What the hell?’ Lio was laughing at the side, enjoying the scene that was playing out in front of him. Deimos realised this and turned to Lio saying, ‘Amused, Lio?’ Lio let out an audible laugh as he replied.

‘Thoroughly. You two are adorable...’ Phobos perked his ear up when he heard that and ran to sit on Lio’s lap. Lio gave him a few scratches on the head before looking up at Deimos and stretching his right arm toward Deimos. ‘Come here.’ Deimos smiled at him as he crawled over to Lio, allowing him to wrap his arm round Deimos’ neck. Lio pulled him back down to lay by his side. It was still dark, so they tried to get as much rest as they could.

Deimos felt a poke on his butt cheeks, a rather faint and gentle one at that, so he decided to ignore it. The pokes started getting more frequent and harder, eventually waking him up.

‘Li-...o... Stop it...’ Deimos mumbled weakly as he struggled to stay awake. This made Lio twitch his body as he was still sound asleep. The pokes now transitioned into a grope on both his cheeks, where a firm squeeze was felt. Deimos’ eyes shot wide open as he arched back, and looking down straight at Lio who woke up at the sudden influx of movement.

‘What?’ Lio stared at Deimos who stared back at him. Deimos, realising that it wasn’t Lio giving his ass the attention he felt, tried to turn around to see who it was. But before he could, a heavy weight threw itself onto Deimos’ back, pushing him back down onto Lio’s chest.

‘What in the hel-...’ Deimos’ words began muffling as he found himself in a familiar uncomfortable position. He didn’t appreciate the early morning action, especially when he was woken up so abruptly.

‘Get up you lazy asses! Time to go!’ The voice of Rhen made Deimos even more agitated as he pushed himself off from Lio’s chest, and flinging her off his back. Deimos straightened his back as he assumed the kneeling position, turning to his left to see Rhen now on the floor. He plastered an unamused look as he stared at her. Rhen got up quickly and crawled over to Deimos saying, ‘Nice ass wonder boy! Right, Lio?’ Lio chuckled as he heard that, nodding to Rhen as he lay on the ground comfortably with his hands supporting the back of his head.

‘Go away Rhen.’ Deimos said as he turned his back to her, facing Lio. Rhen took this opportunity to hug Deimos from the back, rather roughly. Deimos was still kneeling down with his back straight, now with Rhen wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his right shoulder. She ran her hands along his bare body, feeling the contours of every muscle. Deimos got a shock when this happened, and stared at Lio who was laughing at the scene. ‘You’re gonna allow her...?’ Lio snapped back into character as he heard that and sat up immediately, assuming the similar kneeling position, making him tower above Rhen.

‘Alright, that’s enough. Leave my man alone.’ Rhen sniggered at Lio and challenged.

‘Make me!’ Lio raised his eyebrow as a smile emerged from his face. Deimos perked his eyebrows at the sound of Rhen’s reply and the sight of Lio’s body language, he was not overly fond of what follows. Lio pounced forward at Deimos, pushing him back, crushing Rhen as they fell backward onto the floor.

‘Oof...!’ Rhen coughed loudly as the sudden impact against her chest forced the exhalation of air from her lungs. Deimos was sandwiched in the middle, and he too felt an uncomfortable amount of weight against his chest.

‘Lio... Get... Off...!’ Lio ignored Deimos as he tried to free his partner of Rhen’s grip. But every time he freed Deimos from one of her hands, the other will latch on. Rhen eventually wrapped her legs round Deimos’ hips, making the situation much more complex. Lio started getting impatient and leaned in towards Rhen and said to her.

‘Don’t make me bite you!’ Deimos turned his head to his right and stared at Lio with a frown. Rhen too wore a frown as they both replied in unison and confusion.

‘You what?’ Lio opened his mouth and bared his teeth as he went in for Rhen’s arms. She screamed and immediately released her grip on Deimos. Lio then skilfully rolled Deimos out of her snare, as Lio pinned Rhen down by holding on to her wrists with both his hands.

‘LET GO! RAPE! HELP!’ Rhen started screaming as Lio stared at her menacingly, seeing how the tables have turned now. Rhen struggled while she continued screaming. Lio used his left hand to cup her mouth.

‘Shh… Stop screaming, I’ll only take a minute…’ Lio whispered. Rhen’s eyes reflected genuine fear as a suggestive smile appeared on his face. Rhodes then appeared from the side and stood there staring at the two of them with her hands by her hips. Rhen and Lio turned to look at her with blank expressions.

‘You call this ‘looking for food’?’ Rhen stared at Deimos and turned back to Rhodes nodding. She then replied Rhodes saying.

‘Woman, can’t you see I’m being raped. Help me!’ Lio turned to glare at her when he heard this, still maintaining his grip on her.

‘And why can’t I help but feel you deserve it.’ Rhen’s eyes enlarged as she squealed.

‘NOOOOO! You cannot let him impregnate me like this! I’m not ready to start a family! HELP!’ Deimos laughed at the side, almost tempted to allow Lio to have his way with her just to see her suffer. Lio then replied.

‘Ohh I’ll do more than that to you...’ He flashed a cheeky smile at Rhen, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. Rhodes then pushed Lio lightly on his shoulders, causing him to free Rhen from her currently state. Rhen stood up and attempted to hug Rhodes.

‘THANK YOU! You saved m-... AhhhHHH...!’ Rhodes pinched Rhen’s ear hardly before she could finish her sentence and dragged her away from the two guys. Lio was still looking at the two females walk off when he mentioned casually.

‘Where in the hell did you find a girl like that?’ Deimos laughed as he crawled back to Lio, wrapping his arms round Lio’s neck and resting his chin on Lio’s right shoulder while resting his chest against Lio’s back.

‘No idea. I ask myself that question almost every day...’ Lio laughed as he turned to face Deimos who was looking at him. They were smiling at each other until Lio’s expression turned gradually to that of a frown as he said.

‘What?’ Deimos’ face now turned into a similar frown as well as he replied.

‘What?’ Lio then defended.

‘Something on my face?’ Deimos then frowned even harder.

‘What? No, I’m just looking at you...’ Lio then perked his eyebrows.

‘Since when do you stare at me? I’m always the one staring at you!’ Deimos rolled his eyes and said.

‘So I can’t appreciate my boyfriend now?’ A cheeky smiled emerged on Lio’s face as he leaned in closer to Deimos and said.

‘I love it when you say that...’ Deimos perked his eyebrow and asked.

‘Say what?’ Lio chuckled to himself as he leaned in for a kiss. As their lips connected, Lio felt Deimos’ body relax instantly as his strong arms wrapped tighter around his neck, tightening their embrace. Lio leaned back to allow his back to press against Deimos’ chest, the sensation of their bare skin against one another was always a comfort that Lio looked forward to, and so did Deimos. Both of them shut their eyes to truly immerse themselves in the kiss, sensitising themselves to the touch of the other’s tongue.

*Ahem* The sound of someone clearing their throat nearby broke the two of them out of their trance as they opened their eyes and turned to face the direction where the grunt came from. They found Eros standing in front of them awkwardly with his left hand behind his head, looking away.

‘Sorry to interrupt you guys, but the commander said we should get going...’ Deimos nodded as he uncoiled his arms around Lio’s neck and stood up, walking toward Eros. Eros looked at Deimos and smiled at him, which caused a smile to appear on Deimos’ face as well. Deimos asked.

‘You made quite a mess with that Uragaan yesterday...’ Eros looked down and replied.

‘Yeah, sorry about that. Ignorance can be costly sometimes...’ Deimos laughed as he placed the side of his right index finger underneath Eros’ chin, pushing it up.

‘It’s alright, we learn...’ Eros was beginning to feel the strong attraction toward Deimos again as he stared directly into his cold blue eyes. Remembering what he did to him previously, Eros was at a loss of what he should do. Every route that he thought of seemed inappropriate to a certain degree. Seeing him in such dismay, Deimos decided not to make the same mistake as he pulled Eros in for a hug, pressing his face against his warm chest. Eros was shocked at first, but soon wrapped his arms round Deimos’ muscular body as he buried his face comfortably on the smooth firm chest. Lio saw this at the side and chuckled to himself, standing up and leaving seeing that Deimos was in good hands. Eros shut his eyes and delved in the moment as he muttered to himself.

‘This is nice...’ Deimos heard it and smiled to himself as he dragged out the hug. Deimos allowed Eros to dictate the duration of the hug, which ended after a few short seconds. Eros looked up at Deimos, thoroughly rejuvenated and bubbly as he said. ‘Thanks for that. You’ve no idea how much it means to me...’ Deimos smirked at Eros and nodded at his response. Eros then continued as he asked. ‘So how was your time with Lio yesterday?’ Deimos was unsure what Eros was referring to and dared not assume what he meant.

‘What happened to Lio and me yesterday?’ Eros perked his eyebrow and clarified.

‘Didn’t you guys have sex?’ Deimos started blushing as he heard that, a familiar warmth filling his cheeks and making them rosy.

‘How did yo-...’ Eros laughed as he said.

‘You guys were making quite a bit of noise... And being in a cave...’ Deimos buried his face in the palm of his right hand, thoroughly embarrassed. He peeped between his fingers with his right eye and asked.

‘Were we very loud?’ Eros shook his head.

‘Not really, but I was pretty sure you guys weren’t playing chess.’ Deimos chuckled as he answered the original question.

‘Yeah it was great. Lio and I tried penetrative sex...’ Eros’ eyes enlarged when he heard that word.

‘And how was it? Better than the first time I hope...’ Deimos treaded carefully when Eros asked that question.

‘Yeah it was good. I wouldn’t hold the first experience against you Eros, what happened was kinda my fault too.’ Eros tilted his head in confusion as he asked.

‘How was any of that your fault?’ Deimos placed his right hand behind his head as he tried to find the words to explain himself.

‘Well...’ He paused briefly before continuing. ‘I can appreciate what it’s like to hold all that pent-up desire until it comes lashing out violently the moment you lose control.’ Eros looked away when he heard that, unconvinced by Deimos’ argument. Deimos could see that Eros was still unsettled by all of this, so he reassured him saying, ‘Look, this is new for everybody, let’s just take it slow and figure things out. Lio is open enough for anything, so let me talk to him.’ This again, Eros thought to himself. Temptation in its highest order, he was already ashamed for wanting such a thing, and now that the possibility seemed within reach once again, his heart and mind were once again misaligned. Eros had hoped for his feelings toward Deimos to just vanish, but it seemed like that was an eventuality that would never come to pass. So, for now, this would have to do.

‘Let’s move! We will cover as much ground as we can, we are almost there!’ Rion rallied the squad and led them toward region where the crystal formations were the most abundant. They found themselves at an elevated spot overseeing a large portion of the crystalline field, allowing them to pave a rough route toward their destination.

‘Sir, we could descend into that crystal cave, it looks like there’s a path that will lead us directly toward the...’ Before Dr Ena could finish his sentence, the familiar tremors were felt again, this time it was extremely violent. The team fell to the ground, using their hands to support their body weight and push themselves to balance while some fell completely to the ground, unable to resist the tremors. The tremors were now accompanied by the disturbing sound of cracking rocks and shattering crystals. The squad turned to the source of the sound on their right, where Deimos saw a familiar spectacle. A large moving volcanic structure, ploughing its way through the recess’ rock formation as if it were traversing water, the rocks breaking and parting to make way for the gargantuan of a beast to move. Rhen then said.

‘Looks like Zorah found us...’ Rion and Dr Ena were both glad and terrified for seeing the creature now standing in front of them. Now that Zorah was seen up-close, many of its previously overlooked features could be observed. It was a humungous creature that stood on two legs, with powerful arms that had normal reptilian scales along the underside of its body. They were tainted black and dripping with molten rock that spewed from the side and back of the beast. Its head was relatively small, in comparison to the rest of the body, and had a prominent horn at the tip of its snout. The horn looked to be made of crystal instead of rock, with the material slightly transparent, and a pulsing red energy could be seen within it. The pulsing energy was weak, and the red colour was not very vibrant. In fact, on closer inspection, Dr Ena noticed that the horn was chipped. Rion then started mumbling to himself as Dr Ena was still staring in awe.

‘What are you doing here big guy... Come on, show us something...’ Just as Rion said this, Zorah reached out with its left arm, and held onto one of the large crystalline protrusions, breaking the crystal. It held onto the crystal and fed it slowly into its mouth as it used its powerful jaws to shatter the crystals, dispersing a large sapphire cloud of dust that exploded in its mouth. The explosion was a loud one, deafening the ears of the squad as a mild shockwave could be felt, despite the large distance between them. However, the explosion did nothing to Zorah, as it continued chewing on the crystal. The energy in its horn suddenly pulsed a more intense red than before, as its body invigorated with renewed energy. Its veins now glowing a more intensely with its back spewing more molten rock than before. Dr Ena said in wonder.

‘Impossible! Zorah is not finding a resting place, it’s prolonging its life! But how...?’ Rion smiled at this, finally getting an answer after the long and tiresome journey. Zorah’s consumption of the crystals was sloppy, leaving remnants of the crystals lying around and filling the air with volatile dust particles. Dr Ena then made another comment, ‘And this must be why the Elders are returning, Zorah is creating an environment for life to prosper. Normally, no creature would be able to break the crystals down into literal bite sizes, but this...’ Dr Ena went up to pick up a small crystal shard as he continued. ‘This is very manageable!’ The shard was still hot to the touch, and sizzling with energy as Dr Ena took out a phial to keep the invaluable sample. After this epiphany, however, Dr Ena’s expression returned to that of confusion once again as he commented, ‘But how does one convert such a pure form of energy into life? That process is not only complicated but near impossible.’ Dr Ena now looked back up at Zorah, seeing the literal God of a monster continue its way through the crystals. Rion brought the doctor back as he asked the important question.

‘So doctor, is Zorah going to be a problem, now that we know what its true intentions are?’ Dr Ena turned to Rion and replied.

‘I do not see any foreseeable threat except for the danger that it poses simply due to the fact that it is dealing with a very volatile form of energy. But of course seeing that it seems like it knows what it’s doing, I would believe that the best thing we can do is to fortify Astera and hope that the repercussion of its actions will not affect us drastically. Though I highly doubt that...’ Rion raised his eyebrow as he asked.

‘And why is that?’ Dr Ena piqued with excitement as he explained.

‘Don’t you see? Zorah is the missing piece of the puzzle for all these years! We’ve been wondering how this energy is transformed into life and how the Everstream’s water can contain such rich nutrients from a source that looks seemingly inert. Zorah is our answer to those questions! It is like that digestive system of the New World! It breaks down the crystal structure, so that the minerals and energy can be absorbed by all living creatures around it. The Everstream then spreads and disperses this energy to the rest of the island, giving it life. This, sir, is the beating heart of the New World. It is phenomenal!’ Rion took a moment to soak in the information that Dr Ena was feeding him but didn’t take too long to grasp the main concept he was trying to drive across. Rion was pleased, as a smile appeared on his face, a rather rare sight indeed. He turned around to face the team and addressed them.

‘Well, I guess that concludes our journey. We have found what we set out to do. Let’s head back to Aster-...!’ As the team’s spirits were at an all time high, they heard footsteps coming from behind them. The pace of the footsteps sounded like something was running toward them, and the irregular pattern of the thumping suggested that there was more than one. From the hill they emerged from yesterday, appeared two hunters that ran toward them. The squad were both surprised and confused at the sight of them. Lio separated from the group and confronted the two hunters. They stopped in front of him, panting.

‘Take it easy, catch your breath. What are you two doing out here?’ The two hunters looked at each other as they caught they breath, before one of them spoke up.

‘Sir, Astera is in danger...’ Lio frowned at the two hunters and told them to calm down before asking for an explanation. He turned around and signalled the team gathered round the hunters instead, and they obliged as they approached the three of them. Once they caught their breaths, the other hunter looked up at Rion and said.

‘Sir, Astera is in dire need of help. Please!’ Rion was beginning to get worried at the sound of this, so he calmed the hunter down saying.

‘Relax, boy. Take deep breaths, and tell me what happened?’ The hunter listened obediently, and took a moment to recollect himself. After a few breaths, he looked at Rion more composed as he said.

‘A few days ago, Phaestus’ children arrived and seized control over Astera. We do not know what they plan to do but the guild is supporting them, with a orders coming directly from Ranus himself ordering us to support them in any way we can.’ Quite frankly, Rion stopped listening after he heard the name ‘Phaestus’. He knew Phaestus well and was not exactly a fan of that man’s methods. Rion shook himself out of the daze as he probed the hunters.

‘Do you know what they intend to do? Did they say anything?’ The hunters exchanged worried looks before turning back to Rion saying.

‘They want to kill Zorah Magdaros.’ Dr Ena spoke up when he heard that.

‘No! They cannot! We cannot! If Zorah dies, then...’ Rion completed Dr Ena’s sentence.

‘We all die...’ Rion turned to the squad with an apologetic look on his face as he continued. ‘Looks like our journey isn’t over just yet...’ The squad rushed back with the hunters, making haste back to Astera, hopefully in time to stay this madness.

‘And what is this supposed to mean anyway?’ Phil picked up the sapphire amulet from the table, furious at the sight of it. Argos took the amulet back and calmed Phil down as he said.

‘Calm down. I have no idea, but I think it has more meaning to Rion. Besides, Ranus asked me to relay a message to Rion along with this trinket.’ Phil raised his brow in curiosity, but before Argos was about to share the information, Phil raised his hand to stop him.

‘No, don’t say it. Leave it for Rion. At this point, the less I know the better.’ Argos tilted his head in confusion as he replied.

‘Very unlike you, to shun away from a secret...’ Phil shook his head, the cold-blooded incident still replaying in his mind.

‘This is different Argos, a man has been killed because of my arrogance.’ Argos straightened his back and questioned.

‘What? What do you mean?’ Phil turned to him and looked him in the eye and said.

‘These youngsters are not fucking around when they say they mean business. Just one slip, one oversight, and you’re done for. They may be inexperienced and barbaric but trust me when I say do not challenge their ambition. They know what they want, and you can bet to hell that’s what they are getting.’ Argos was taken aback when he heard this coming from Phil. In their years of knowing each other, Argos had never seen Phil this concerned over anything before. Argos then asked.

‘So then what do you plan to do?’ Phil chuckled to himself.

‘I plan to fight back, just not now. We need to be smart about this, that’s why I will need to consult someone with a little more brains.’ Argos then asked.

‘Dr Ena? Didn’t he leave with th-...’ Phil then interrupted Argos with a non-verbal shaking of his head. Argos stared at him in confusion as he asked, ‘Bigger than Dr Ena’s brain? Wh-... Ohh... You must be really desperate to go to him for help...’ Phil nodded his head as he replied.

‘I am, Argos. I really am...’ Argos started shaking his head as he said sceptically but knew the predicament that Phil was in. He did not envy Phil’s position, being a leader in such trying times really takes a toll on you both psychologically and morally. It was something many took for granted when Rion was around, and hopefully this served as a bit of a realisation as to how important a leader is. Phil concluded the meal with Argos and thanked him for the update. Before parting, he said, ‘Keep me posted, and if there’s any news from Ranus, please let me know.’ Argos smiled at Phil and nodded.

‘Of course.’ Phil patted Argos on the back as he said.

‘Take care, old friend.’ At those words, the two parted ways. Ever since Phil’s duties as commander were rested on his shoulders, he did not have much time to spend in the armoury. Despite that, he had been spending a great deal of thought about how the future will change the nature of Astera’s needs. He began to appreciate the necessity of foresightedness, and so he too had been doing his fair share of planning. Not in the areas of leadership, for that was still something rather foreign to him, his planning was done for something within his scope of expertise. He went to his usual workstation, which had begun collecting some dust, and dragged out a dusty old tray. In it, was one folder that was clearly newer than the rest as it collected considerably less dust than the rest of his things. He grabbed the file and headed toward the third level of Astera, up the stairs that was located just before reaching the canteen. The stairs led to an old shed where numerous plants grew round it. A rather pleasant sight really, until one realises who inhabited this lonely house. Phil walked up to the shed and knocked on the door with his folder in hand. After a few seconds, the door creaked open with a hooded figure standing in behind the door. Phil then said.

‘Good afternoon Oros, may I come in?’

‘Astera needs to be warned...’ Ranus muttered to Aia as he circled round his office.

‘How? You can’t do it directly, the council will find out!’ Ranus shook his head as he continued deep in thought.

‘There has to be a way, there has to be...’ Ranus eyes enlarged as he thought of something. He rushed over to his desk and pulled out the next report that was going to head to Astera. Coincidentally, this was the report that was going to contain the blueprint for the reactor core as well. Ranus picked up an intriguing looking pen from a pristine leather case. It was jet black, glazed with chrome navy blue spirals from the back to the handle of the pen. The back of the pen had a small sapphire jewel lodged at the tip. Aia smiled at the sight of the pen that Ranus fished out and asked.

‘Very traditional of you, Ranus. But do you think they will figure it out?’ Ranus shook his head as he began writing between the lines of each sentence in the report.

‘They have no choice, they have to...’


	42. Waking Demons

‘What do you want?’ The mysterious hooded figure said as he sat himself down at the small coffee table located at the left side of his small abode.

‘I need your help, Oros.’ A weak laughter emerged from the unwelcoming host at those words.

‘Well, isn’t that a surprise?’ Oros unhooded himself, to reveal his face to Phil. He was quite young, but his complexion did not reflect it. The years have not been kind to him, and neither were the people of Astera. His mistake and defiance regarding the use and experimentation of the crystal shards awarded him a one-way ticket to exile. Rion allowed him to stay in Astera only because he saved the canteen’s chef but disallowed him any further part in Astera’s scientific advancement and experimentation. Oros has since spent his time in isolation as the people in Astera have only remembered him for the catastrophe and not his valiant contribution. Even though Rion did not overlook it, he had no control over how the community viewed Oros. While Oros did not hold this consequence against Rion directly, it certainly did not help in building their relationship. A part of Phil was ashamed of treating Oros the way he did and wished he did not ever have to confront him directly, but he was left with no other choice.

‘Surely you know what has happened to Astera over the past few days?’

‘I wouldn’t dare guess.’ Phil was irritated at Oros’ sarcastic remark but held back his emotions to prevent his odds from getting worse.

‘A few days ago, Phaestus’ children arrived t-…’ Oros interrupted.

‘Yes, I know. But what exactly has changed about Astera ever since their arrival?’ Phil took great effort in maintaining his tone as he replied.

‘They are making a weapon, and they are doing so in a rather barbaric manner. They are abusing our hunters and ignoring the well-being of the people of Aster-…’ Oros interrupted again.

‘And why is any of this my concern? You have successfully listed everything that I happen to care very little about. So for your own sake, might I suggest focusing your efforts in convincing me on why I should even consider helping you…’ Phil’s patience was beginning to run thin as he thought hard on how to get through to this mad scientist. Oros allowed him time to think, as he ravelled in Phil’s anxiety, sitting back, and sipping his hot tea while enjoying the view of Phil, deep in thought. After being allowed a few more minutes to think of his response, Phil responded.

‘They killed a man. They are threatening to run this place wit-…’ Oros interrupted once again, saying.

‘People die, what’s new? If you studied the science of nature, you would kno-…’ Phil was now the one to interrupt, as he did so bitterly.

‘I don’t need this! I guess I was wrong to think you would help us. You’re still wallowing in your own self-pity and incapable of doing good if it doesn’t benefit you in some way or form. When Zorah is dead, maybe then you would-…’ Oros began smiling as he heard that. He raised his hand to stop Phil as he said.

‘Very good, we are finally getting somewhere. Now, tell me why they want to kill Zorah?’ Phil plastered a look of surprise as he responded to Oros’ sudden spike in enthusiasm.

‘They were not generous enough to share that with me…’ Oros sat back as he said.

‘Perhaps it is time to find out.’ Phil then asked.

‘And why would that information be important?’ Oros let out a laughter as he looked down at his now lukewarm tea.

‘Killing Zorah is something that will affect us all. But the rationale behind their murderous intent will decide on how I will choose to intervene.’ Phil was thoroughly confused with the words that Oros was saying but was more focused on getting him on board.

‘So are you saying you will help?’ Oros smiled and looked at Phil.

‘You speak as if you have the power and authority to make use of my services, but unfortunately, unless Rion gives the command, I am unwilling to taint my already worthless name for a cause that I care so little for…’ Phil was now the one to chuckle as he smirked at Oros, replying.

‘Rion has left Astera in pursuit of Zorah to further study its agenda. Leaving Astera in my command. So I do have the power and the authority.’ Oros got up slowly from his simple wooden armchair as he wore a rather uneasy smile.

‘What an interesting flow of events. Truly curious… Yes, things happen, and they must happen, all for a reason…’ Phil frowned as he heard Oros’ verbalised and incomprehensible thoughts. Oros circled the room with his right index finger rested on his chin accompanied by his right thumb supporting the underside of it. He continued mumbling to himself until yet another smile emerged from his face and turned around to Phil and said. ‘So what exactly is it that you need from me?’ Phil fished out the blueprints that he acquired from his desk before paying Oros a visit, and placed them on the coffee table for him to see. Oros took a brief look at the blueprints and sniggered to himself. ‘Weapons? My, my, this day just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?’ Phil flashed an unamused look before clarifying.

‘I am doing this for good reason!’ Oros chuckled to himself as he replied.

‘Aren’t we all?’ Phil frowned at Oros’ philosophical responses and was beginning to get impatient with this man. Either way, he was contented with the fact that he was willing to help and tried to focus on that fact to calm himself down. Oros took a glance at the blueprints and asked. ‘You want to channel the crystal’s energy to amplify the power of the weapons?’ Phil replied without flinching.

‘Is it possible?’ Oros scratched his head as he said.

‘Anything’s possible, the question you should be asking is whether it is practical...’ Phil then muttered.

‘The three of them have weapons that were able to do it. So I figured we could too...’ Oros turned to Phil with an expression mixed with both disgust and shock.

‘That is not very encouraging news. This form of energy was never meant to be used in this manner, it’s too volatile. Unless...’ Phil allowed Oros the time to think, providing him with an atmosphere of brief silence. Oros then turned to Phil and asked. ‘Describe their weapons to me.’ Phil then started describing Arges’ hammer, with the prominent red jewel at the mouth of the striking portion. Oros displayed yet another frown as he asked.

‘Red? Is that colour just from the housing or...’ Oros then interrupted himself as he burst into laughter. Phil frowned and asked him.

‘What’s so funny?’ Oros turned to look at Phil as his laugh slowly subsided.

‘Our stupidity... They are geniuses!’ Oros grabbed a pencil and began writing formulas on the blueprint. Shading the crystal shards with the pencil and flooding the paper with numbers of his own. After about a minute or so, he placed the pencil down gently and mumbled to himself, ‘Why do the work when the work can be done for you... All it needs is a little... Push!’ Phil would have been lying if he said he did not feel uneasy whenever he was near Oros, but he did not deny the fact that this man was at a league of his own. It was a pity that he had such a radical mindset and approach on things. Phil did not even attempt to comprehend the formulas scribbled on his blueprint and just simply asked Oros, breaking the silence.

‘So? Can it be done?’ Oros turned to Phil and replied.

‘The simple answer is yes, it can be done. But we will need a lot of energy...’ Phil’s frown reappeared as he complained.

‘Do you mind speaking english?’ Oros turned to him wearing an annoyed look.

‘The reason these villains are able to channel such powerful energies at will is because they are making use of something far more powerful; the strength of an Elder. The energy itself cannot be manipulated by mere mortals like us, they require ungodly strength from Gaia herself.’ Phil was feeling a surge of fear and annoyance course through his body. He twitched with fear at the parts that he understood, and was irritated by the parts he did not.

‘So what exactly do you need for this to work?’ Oros turned to Phil with a tinge of anger in his eyes.

‘I need the blood of an Elder Dragon...’

The squad was extremely anxious to return back to Astera after hearing the disturbing news. But no matter how much they tried, it took them a good few days to travel to the Recess, it will take at least a few more before they return. Not to mention they were not exactly well-rested, so the fatigue was constantly getting in the way of maintaining their pace back to base. What made things worse was the fact that Dr Ena and Rhodes were nowhere as fit as the other hunters, being used to a constant increase in their heart rate. All these factors were hindering the group’s progress, only being able to return to the Coral Highlands after a few long hours.

‘We need to find a quicker way back to Astera...’ Rion mentioned amidst his heavy panting. Lio turned to the two hunters who reported to them and asked.

‘How long did you guys take to reach us?’ They turned to look at each other before turning back to Lio, replying.

‘About two and a half days, sir.’ Lio shook his head slightly as he turned to his father, who was also shaking his head. Rion then said casually as the team continued making their way through the Highlands.

‘I am open to any ideas... If anyone has any...’ At those words, Phobos jumped off Deimos’ shoulder and landed on the ground. Deimos looked down after realising the absence of Phobos’ weight on his shoulder.

‘Hey buddy, we don’t have time to mess around, let’s...’

‘Grrryeoh!’ Phobos purred as he pointed toward a small crack in the pinkish coral wall with his tiny paw. Deimos frowned and asked.

‘What do you mean yo-...’ Before Deimos could voice out his thoughts, he heard a soothing sound coming from a French horn. Rhodes turned her head at the familiar tune, as she saw Deimos and Phobos by the small crack. She looked up above them, and saw the familiar grimalkyne standing on the rocks above them, blowing the coral horn.

‘Hey! It’s your feline friend!’ Deimos looked up after hearing Rhodes shout over to him. Phobos began jumping for joy when he saw his wild palico friend. The greyish-yellow cat came down and greeted them with very welcoming, friendly eyes. Phobos ran up to it and began conversing with it.

‘Hrreeyeoh, krreeyouuaaa!’ The wild cat jumped in the air while straightening its left arm as it replied.

‘Leeerroooohhh! Merroew!’ The wild palico then began swinging its paw toward itself, signalling Phobos to follow it. The both of them crawled into the crack and disappeared momentarily. Rion noticed the commotion and backtracked, wondering what was happening.

‘We cannot afford to stop now. What happened?’ Deimos turned to Rion and replied.

‘Phobos found the grimalkyne that helped us when we were in the Vale. I heard Phobos asking them for help but I didn’t catch what was the reply...’ Rion would be lying if he said he was not irritated about this delay as the worry of Astera’s state constantly filled his mind. Before he could say anything, however, the two palicoes emerged from the crack again, but this time they were joined by another palico. This one was a dark turquoise colour with red ears and paws. Its belly was painted a very clean white consistently from the underside of its chin down to the tip of its tail. The grey palico began conversing with the turquoise palico and before long, the turquoise palico disappeared back into the crack. The grey grimalkyne turned its attention back to Phobos, and once again signalled him to follow, as it ran on ahead, reaching higher ground. Deimos followed Phobos, to which Lio ran after Deimos, signalling the rest of the group to follow suit. As the group scaled the vine-covered walls to reach a familiar open area; the open space located just beside their campsite here in the Highlands, they witnessed a wondrous spectacle before their eyes. A large group of turquoise grimalkynes were in the area, at least fifty of them, they had ropes made of vines tied to the mantagrells; stingray like creatures that flew across the Coral Highlands and feed off the nutrients that come from the Vale. They are large and graceful creatures, extremely timid, but they seemed to somehow be comfortable with the company of humans. The grimalkyne signalled the team to sit on the mantagrell, while they prepared to take off. Deimos was extremely awestruck as he approached one of the mantagrells, placing his hand gently on its brownish-orange scales. Though tough-looking, its scales were quite soft, but its bones and muscles were strong. Deimos could feel its breath, slow and heavy, with his hand feeling the warmth emitting from its large flat body. Rion was glad he did not allow his lack of patience to get the better of him as he turned to Phobos and patted him gently on the head saying.

‘Good work, Phobos...’ Phobos leapt for joy as he threw his paw up into the air. Dr Ena, Rion and one of the hunters got on one mantagrell. Rhen, Rhodes and Eros got on another, and Deimos, Lio and the second hunter got on the final one. Without warning, the grimalkyne that were seated on the head of each of the three mantagrells tapped their tiny feet on the head of the creature, signalling for it to take off. They flapped their large fins, carrying the large cargo on their backs off the ground with ease. The initial elevation caused some of its passengers to slip to the side but thankfully, nobody fell off. As soon as they arrived, the squad found themselves leaving the Highlands and toward the Ancient Forest.

‘Father wants you back to receive his new orders. Apparently they ar-...’

‘Pfft. I’m not interested, go get them yourself...’ Bron cut his brother off as he continued sharpening his sword. Arges retaliated as he said.

‘We can’t always have what we like now can we? These are orders from him, surely you wouldn’-...’ Bron looked up and interrupted his brother once again, saying.

‘You do realise that the only offspring of his that has never defied him once is you. So why are you talking to me like I give a shit?’ Arges chuckled as he walked over to Bron, placing his left arm over his shoulder as he sat down next to him.

‘You know I would do it myself. Besides, as you said, I am the most loved child of the lot.’ Arges paused for a brief moment to hear an anticipated disgusted huff come from Bron before he continued. ‘But I wouldn’t wish to burden the responsibility of carrying out his order here in Astera. You do recall what awaits us back in the Old World should we fail yes?’ This statement caused Bron to stop his sharpening momentarily as he fixed his gaze to the ground. Arges then stood up and walked off, continuing. ‘Ohh well, but as I said, we don’t always get what we want, do we? No matter, no matter, I will inform all the commanding officers to report to you while I’m gone. Try not to mes-...’ Bron threw his sharpening stone on the ground, causing it to lodge cleanly into the hard wooden floor. The impact was loud and sharp, enough to stop Arges from completing his sentence. Bron stood up, glared at him, and stormed off. Arges sniggered as he muttered to himself. ‘Except for me, of course. I always get what I want...’

Phil exited Oros’ room and saw Rea’s team preparing to move out, with a large metallic contraption supported by wooden scaffolding. They were loading the machinery onto the ships; every ship except the Argosy. Phil had no idea how the machines functioned but he knew damn well what they were used for. The mechanism was attached to the mast of the ships for much needed support due to its large weight. As Phil witnessed this disturbing scene before him, his attention fell to the loyal hunters of Astera that were carrying out Arges’ orders. He saw hunters drenched in sweat and more tan than before, after spending long hours in the sun and in close proximity to the scorching furnace. Phil felt indebted to them, seeing how their loyalty and trust in their leaders never faltered. They placed their undying faith in their leaders, knowing that their suffering was a necessary sacrifice. This somehow gnawed at Phil, as Oros’ words conveniently crept their way back into his consciousness. He knew his next course of action would be to find out why the guild, or Phaestus in particular, wanted Zorah dead. So Phil broke himself out of the trance, and headed for Arges’ tent. On his way there, he kept looking around to check and see if he was being followed. With all this worrying, Phil failed to check the single most important direction; his front, as he walked ever closer to the tent’s entrance. Arges emerged from it, colliding into Phil. Arges did not utter a word, but Phil shouted involuntarily.

‘Shit!’ Arges lifted his eyebrow as he responded.

‘I certainly hope not...’ Phil tried to wipe his shocked expression from his face as quickly as possible to try and salvage the situation, but his anxiety was building up at an unnaturally quick rate. Phil was choking on his words, but was beating himself internally to snap out of it. Eventually, Arges beat him to it as he said, ‘Are you looking for me?’ Phil nodded to that, to which Arges enquired. ‘Well I’m here. What is it?’ Phil gulped before finally speaking.

‘I was going to inform you of the progress of loading the ships. It is almost don-...’

‘Ahh, very good, very good indeed...’ Arges replied as he walked past Phil to catch a glimpse of the hunters loading the ships. Arges then continued muttering to himself, ‘Beautiful, isn’t it? This is art in its purest form. We are the destruction to nature’s creative wonder. We were made for each other. We are, the necessary evil...’ Phil was disgusted with how deluded this man was, but a certain charisma did excrete from him, despite it being the distasteful sort. Phil offered no response, and simply allowed Arges the time to enjoy the scenery. Arges then turned back to Phil with the menacing grin on his face subsiding as he muttered, ‘Unfortunately, it will have to wait...’ Phil plastered a confused look as he asked.

‘What do you mean?’ Arges walked past Phil again and back into his tent, Phil following him inside.

‘We have orders, from the guild, and they have requested Bron to take it personally.’ Arges turned to Phil and winked at him saying, ‘Must be something important, don’t you think?’ Phil was not feeling great about this as many things could go wrong. He was already struggling to handle the current situation, and hearing development from the compromised guild was only going to add to the struggle, he thought. Phil then mustered the courage to ask bluntly.

‘Why exactly are we killing Zorah? Did the guild happen to mention anything?’ Arges looked up at Phil and laughed.

‘Of course they did!’ Arges remained silent after replying, not at all guilty or awkward about his abrupt silence. Phil then asked.

‘So? What’s the reason?’ Arges let out a laughter as he replied.

‘Were you expecting me to divulge? I’m sorry, you do not need to know the reason. Besides, even if I did tell you, you wouldn’t understand...’

‘But I would...’ A husky male voice emerged from the entrance of the tent, causing the two of them to turn around to see a hooded figure standing by the entrance. Arges smiled as he placed both his palms together, resting both his index fingers against his lips as he said.

‘My, my... Now, who is this?’ Before Phil could utter a word, Oros unhooded himself and bowed respectfully at Arges as he introduced himself.

‘I am Oros, an exiled scientist here in Astera. Cast aside for my radical thinking and fearless experimental science.’ The short introduction was getting Arges unnaturally excited as he stood up, with a smile still on his face.

‘So, tell me, Oros, why should I not smash your skull in for intruding our rather meaningless meeting here?’ Oros returned the equally maniacal smile to Arges as he said.

‘Because I believe you recognise the talent that stands before you, and more importantly, the usefulness of a person quite intricately. Especially if our interests align...’ Arges perked his eyebrows and stood up, walking over to Oros slowly. Phil saw Arges reach for the small blade behind his belt as he crept closer to Oros. Arges then asked.

‘And what makes you say that?’ Oros laughed as he responded.

‘You seek power, and I can provide you with it.’ Arges was smirking but his advance was still constant and his hand was still on his blade. He was starting to get uncomfortably close to Oros as Phil began wondering if he should intervene. Before he could say or do anything, however, Oros said to Arges. ‘And with all due respect, if you’re going to kill me, do it with a larger weapon.’ Oros said this as Arges swung his arm round swiftly, stopping just as his blade rested on Oros’ neck. Oros did not flinch or twitch a muscle. Arges smiled at him as he froze in position momentarily before lowering his arm slowly.

‘I’m impressed. Still, I don’t know what makes you think you can jus-...’

‘Curiosity.’ Arges allowed the interruption as his mind was filled with said word. Oros fished out the weapon blueprints that Phil handed to him the moment he saw Arges’ brief trance. Phil was ignited with rage when he saw that, but was wise to remain silent. ‘These are weapons that harnesses the energies of the crystals that you love so much. And I assume, this is what you are more than willing to kill for yes?’ Oros perked his eyebrows as he gave Arges a rather similar stare. Arges was thoroughly pleased as he flipped through the blueprints, amazed at not only the practical design, but the aesthetics as well. As he was flipping through, Oros noticed Arges’ hammer and walked over to it. He bent down to examine it in closer detail, and was appreciative of Phil’s description now that he could see it with his own eyes. Arges turned around to look at Oros and asked.

‘So what do you want in return, Oros?’ Oros laughed as he stood back up.

‘I only wish to have front row seats to this historic event.’ Arges laughed out loud as he heard those words, as if elated to have found someone as insane as he is. Arges walked over and said to Oros.

‘Very well’, Oros nodded respectfully as Arges walked out of the tent. Phil walked up to Oros and said to him firmly.

‘What in the fuck are you doing?!’ Oros sent a nasty smirk toward Phil as he replied.

‘It’s as you said, self-gain...’

The squad covered much ground as the mantagrells soared in the air seamlessly through the Highlands and already reaching the Wastes. They could see the Ancient Forest from their current elevation and they could see Astera as well. Deimos turned to the hunter that was on the same mantagrell as Lio and him, asking.

‘So what exactly happened while we were gone?’ The hunter flashed a worried look as he replied.

‘The commander received a report from the guild, but while it was signed by Ranus, the order was issued by Phaestus.’ Deimos did not react to that name but Lio’s eyes enlarged at the sound of it as he muttered.

‘That’s not good...’ Deimos now turned to Lio and asked.

‘Why? Who’s thi-...’

‘Phaestus is a military extremist. I don’t know much about him, but dad worked with him before and it was really rough. Phaestus has a bit of a bad rep with his colleagues, and it is no surprise why.’ Lio then turned back to the hunter and said. ‘So he’s here in Astera now?’ The hunter turned to Lio and shook his head as he replied.

‘No, he sent his children over.’ At those words, Lio’s pupils dilated and his body froze still. He began sweating cold sweat at the sound of that and Deimos saw his blank expression as he placed his hand on Lio’s shoulder.

‘Yo, something wrong?’ Lio turned to look at Deimos as the hunter continued.

‘Arges, Stero and Bron are their names. Two guys and a girl. Ruthless and ambitious.’ Lio continued looking at Deimos in the eye as he clarified.

‘I knew the three of them. They were with me when we entered as recruits back in the day. They were the dream cadets, popular and exceedingly skilful. They were also extremely intelligent and manipulative as well.’ Deimos rolled his eyes and muttered to himself.

‘Sounds like a fun bunch.’ Lio chuckled as he replied.

‘Yeah, that was exactly what I thought too. So I actually did spend quite a great deal of time with them during our training. They were a great bunch, honestly, really dependable.’ The lack of coherence here between the hunter’s description and Lio’s description of the three siblings was beginning to sound like the two of them were talking about different people. So Deimos clarified.

‘Wait, so are we talking about the same three people? Because it seems like you’re describing different people here...’ Lio shook his head as he continued.

‘Ohh we’re talking about the same people alright, just at different times. After I left the Old World, we would still write to one another, to keep in touch. But after awhile the letters stopped, and I was a little confused as it was very abrupt. Suddenly one day, I received an invitation to attend their award ceremony.’ Deimos perked his brows in confusion as Lio continued his story. ‘They were all promoted simultaneously under their father’s department, to the highest possible rank. The first taste of power awoken a lust and obsession for it, something their father was so famous for. Ever since then, the only time I’ve ever heard of them was from mutual friends or just gossip.’ Deimos then asked.

‘Well, it seems like your friends are now being a problem here in Astera. Anything we should take note of?’ Lio then chuckled to himself as he replied.

‘I never thought I would actually see them again. This is quite surreal.’ Deimos flashed a worried look and as soon as Lio caught it, he snapped out of his trance and back to answering Deimos’ question. ‘Sorry, uhh... Arges is the eldest. He’s a bit of a crazy dude. Back in the day he was the class clown, always joking around and making everyone laugh. Quite a guy to have around. But when he got down to business and work, you would do well to stay clear from him. He doesn’t fuck about, and I mean it when I say that. His sense of humour is matched only by his ambition. He has high expectations of not only himself but the people around him.’ Deimos smiled and commented.

‘Sounds like me...’ Lio frowned at Deimos and replied.

‘You’re nothing like him...’ Deimos’ smile disappeared as Lio clarified. ‘Trust me, that’s a compliment...’ Deimos then continued asking.

‘Alright, so then what about Bron? He anything like his brother?’ Lio chuckled again as he reminisce old memories of the youngest sibling.

‘Bron, ohh Bron... He was an adorable little guy...’ Deimos perked his brow as he heard that. Lio pinched Deimos’ left cheek and reassured him saying, ‘Don’t worry, not as adorable as you, babe.’ Deimos swatted Lio’s hand away with a smile emerging on his face not long after. ‘Bron was the quiet one. He was a timid guy with very extrinsic taste. His love and affection for art was really strong too, and it showed in everything he did. The design of his weapons, his armour, even down to the fact that he wore jewellery. I remembered there was one incident where he wore something that really caught my attention...’ Deimos then asked.

‘That mesmerising huh... Do you want me to wear a dress for you?’ Lio snapped back and looked at Deimos as he asked.

‘Ohh yes please!’ Deimos then slapped Lio in the face lightly with his left hand. Lio laughing as he fell backwards. The hunter was awkwardly observing the interaction between the two of them and was beginning to piece the picture together on his own, even though he dared not assume anything. As Lio got back up, Deimos sighed as he enquired about the final sibling.

‘So we’re left with Stero. What’s up with the chick?’ Lio sighed as he said.

‘Well, Stero, where do I begin? She’s a strong woman. She takes pride in what she does and she’s extremely independent. She’s not your typical girl and can come across as rude at times but really it is just the honest truth most of the time. She is extremely practical and usually wastes no time in getting shit done. She has quite an eye for talent and really knows how to draw out the strengths in people. I remember how she cheered me on and pushed me to carry on my training even after I was injured during a practice run with a Kulu-Ya-Ku. Her energy was rather intense, infectious even. It was interesting to see how her two brothers actually feared her more than anything else. Ironic if you asked me. But she was a simple woman as well, she didn’t care much for money or material needs, she just needed her loved ones to be by her side, and that was enough for her.’ Deimos smiled at that story and held onto Lio’s right hand with his left as he comforted him.

‘You seem to know an awful lot about Stero...’ Lio smiled as he looked up at Deimos.

‘Yeah, I mean I dated her for 5 years...’


	43. The Lion's Den

‘You and what now…?’ Deimos raised his brows while still maintaining his gaze on Lio. Lio inched closer to Deimos and placed his left hand on Deimos’ right shoulder while his right hand rested on Deimos’ neck.

‘I was planning to tell you, but…’ Deimos started shaking his head, stopping Lio from continuing.

‘No, no that’s fine. I’m just a little shocked, that’s all. And a little…’ Lio looked at Deimos with an anticipated expression. Deimos then completed his sentence, ‘Worried…’ Lio tilted his head to the side a little in confusion.

‘Worried? Why?’ Deimos adjusted his sitting position to face Lio before replying.

‘Well, considering that you just left her in the Old World, I would imagine she would be quite bitter about it.’ Lio chuckled as he retracted his hands and placed them on his own neck as he heaved a sigh.

‘Ohh right, that…’ Lio looked away, as if deep in thought. He then turned back to Deimos and smiled as he said. ‘It’s alright, if I can survive you, I can survive anyone…’ A frown appeared on Deimos’ face as he picked up a small pebble that was lodged between the mantagrell’s scales and threw it at Lio. Lio shielded his face as a laughter escaped his mouth.

‘Don’t think I won’t throw you off this thing…’ Lio raised his brows and turned to the hunter who was with them and said.

‘You see?! He’s crazy!’ Those words caused Deimos to pounce toward Lio, pinning him down. Even though Deimos was much lighter than he was, he learned how to lock Lio in place. He knew his upper body strength was no match for Lio, so he pressed his knees on Lio’s elbows, preventing them from moving or bending. Deimos looked down as he said.

‘I’m gonna make you regret saying that…’ The smile on Lio’s face persisted as he replied.

‘I’m counting on it…’ Deimos chuckled as he shifted his body backward and leaned in for a kiss. Lio’s eyes were about to shut and so did Deimos’ when the hunter by the side awkwardly looked away and cleared his throat. At the sound of that, both of them reopened their eyes and turned to the side to see a blushing hunter sitting next to them. They looked back at each other and laughed as Deimos got up, freeing Lio.

‘Look, that was you some months back…’ Lio joked. Deimos slapped Lio’s firm chest at the tease as they returned to their original spots. Lio sat by the hunter and asked him. ‘So, buddy, tell us something about yourself!’ The hunter nervously looked at the two gorgeous men in front of him, staring at him, anxious for a response. He cleared his throat before speaking.

‘Well, I uhh… was part of the fifth fleet, so I’m fairly new here…’ Lio patted Deimos on the shoulder quite forcefully as he replied enthusiastically.

‘Nice! Just like our friend here!’ The hunter looked up at Deimos who was now frowning at Lio, irritated by his behaviour.

‘Yeah, everyone knows about him. You’re quite famous…’ Deimos flashed a gentle smile at the hunter as he heard that. The hunter then fell silent, clearly uncomfortable with the current situation. Lio then prompted.

‘You alright? Are you just shy or is something bothering you?’ The hunter shook his head and replied.

‘A bit of both I guess. These three arriving in Astera is not exactly something that we are comfortable with. Back in the Old World, I’ve actually heard stories of them before, and they are never good ones. I just fear tha-…’ Lio now placed his right hand on the hunter’s left shoulder as he reassured him.

‘Don’t worry kid, we’ll handle this…’ The hunter looked up at Lio with a face of disbelief. Not born from amazement, but cynicism. Deimos observed Lio’s positivity come crashing down at the hunter’s lack of faith in his words, and was beginning to worry too. As the mantagrells began slowing down, Astera and the Ancient Forest were starting to get closer, a warm feeling of home and nostalgia began seeping through the hearts and minds of the squad. But this feeling was short-lived as they witnessed thick black smoke rising from the dormitories and ships by the dock that were blacker than usual. Rion signalled them to descend just outside of Astera to make sure that they remained unseen. The mantagrells began their descent gradually and the hunters hopped off.

‘Thank you very much. I will not forget this…’ Rion bowed at the grimalkyne who was frowning at the incomprehensible words that were coming out of the two-legged bearded creature. Phobos ran toward it and translated.

‘Kreeyooeh! Freeoooyhh!’ A smile immediately appeared on the grimalkyne’s face as it started jumping on the mantagrell and squealing in delight. The grimalkyne bid farewell as they took to the air and returning promptly to the Highlands.

‘Tell us everything you know…’ Rion rested his arms around the two hunters, one on each side.

‘The three children of Phaestus are here; Arges, Stero and Bron. They have seized total control over Astera and they intend to kill Zorah. That's all we know. The commander ordered us to find you guys immediately after…’ Rion nodded to himself as he started thinking. Dr Ena approached Rion and said.

‘Perhaps we shouldn’t return so soon, sir. Especially since they are no-…’ Rion raised his hand to stop Dr Ena as he continued thinking in silence. Rhen then sighed loudly as she said.

‘If these guys are so terrifying, let’s just go in there and kill them. It’s just the three of them anyway, what's the big deal?' Rion looked up and glared at her as he conveniently reminded.

‘Young lady, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it is awfully misguided. To strike them down is to deal a blow to the guild itself. That would mean war, and I will not have that.’ Rhen pouted when she heard that, even though it was convincing. Rhodes then spoke up.

‘Should we conceal our real identities?’ Rion looked up at her, with a blank expression on his face, urging her to elaborate. Rhodes continued, ‘I would assume that if the commander sent these hunters to look for us immediately after the arrival of the three, it was done without their knowledge. So would it be prudent to not reveal who we really are?’ Rion was buying the idea as his eyebrows began to lift. Dr Ena too was nodding in agreement. Rhen then asked.

‘And what good would that do?’ Deimos then replied.

‘If they did not know Rion was the real commander, it might provide him with a lower profile, but this is assuming…’ Lio completed Deimos’ sentence.

‘They don’t already know…’ Rion looked up and started nodding as he said.

‘We have to assume they don’t. It is the only advantage we have at the moment.’ The squad nodded in agreement. The team took some time to come up with their fake roles and responsibilities within the commission, but decided to stick to their original names, since that would lower the risk of them slipping the truth. Besides, their real names should not hold any significance to their rivals. Lio and Deimos were by the side preparing the last of their things before entering Astera, when Lio dragged Deimos by the arm into the bushes nearby. Deimos lost his balance as he fumbled to the side, relying purely on Lio’s grip for balance. Lio unintentionally spun Deimos round the corner causing Deimos to trip over himself and fall on Lio’s torso. Deimos pushed himself away from Lio’s chest and said.

‘Lio! What the hel-… *mmmhh*…’ Deimos’ words were broken by the preoccupation of his lips. Lio pressed his lips against Deimos’ decisively but gently, placing his right hand behind Deimos’ neck while his left hand found its way naturally to Deimos’ waist. Deimos’ mind was still processing what was happening as he felt Lio’s tongue work its way through familiar ground but was clearly taking his own sweet time. He gave Deimos’ lips a nice thorough moisturising with his tongue, periodically biting on Deimos’ lower lip. This caused instinctive moans to leave Deimos’ mouth which was accompanied by warm air leaving his lungs, heating up Lio’s tongue. Deimos consciously pushed away lightly to try and speak. ‘Lio, why ar-… *mmmhh*…’ As soon as Lio heard Deimos try to speak, he used his right hand to pull Deimos’ head tighter against his lips. He now pushed his tongue into Deimos’ mouth, feeling the much warmer and slippery environment. Lio heard Deimos gag a bit when he did this, adding to his level of pleasure. Deimos’ hands automatically wrapped themselves around Lio’s core as they continued their kiss, sliding his palms against the smooth firm skin. Lio’s biting motion was speeding up as he stuck his tongue deeper into Deimos’ mouth, feeling every inch and crevice he could find, marking it with his own saliva. The taste of Deimos’ mouth left a distinct stain on his tongue as Lio straightened his back and jerked his pelvis forward the moment these senses reached his brain. Lio exhaled strongly out through his nose and onto Deimos’ cheeks, causing Deimos to tighten his grip around Lio’s waist. Deimos was clearly not entirely in the zone yet as his tongue brushed against the lining of Lio’s mouth sloppily and without much force. Lio could tell but decided to just allow him some time to catch up as he continued indulging in Deimos’ mouth. Deimos then opened his eyes again, moving his head backwards and away from Lio’s lips as he attempted to speak again. ‘Hey, why ar-…’ This time Lio was the one that pulled his head back irritated as he said.

‘Dude, please stop talking…’ Lio then dreamingly shut his eyes and closed in to resume the kiss. Deimos now placed his right hand over Lio’s mouth to cup it as he asked.

‘What is up with you today? I am ok with the kissing it’s just that you’re not usually like this…’ Lio opened his eyes and stared at Deimos before he exhaled a breath of warm air against the cupped hand just under his nostrils. Lio pulled his head back and dragged Deimos in closer as he sighed saying.

‘Yeah, no you’re right, sorry. I guess I just don’t know when will be the next time we get to do this so I kinda…’ Deimos couldn’t help but smile at that before he said.

‘You were planning something when we returned to Astera, weren't you?’ Lio blushed as he placed his right hand behind his head and looked away, smiling. Deimos snuggled his left cheek against Lio’s, with his left hand pressed against Lio’s right cheek as he replied. ‘We’ll make it happen…’ Deimos then transitioned to kiss Lio’s cheek gently. Lio smiled as he bent his knees to lower his body, wrapping his arms around and underneath Deimos’ buttocks as he stood up, lifting him off the ground. Deimos now wrapped his arms round Lio’s neck and stared down at him as Lio looked up at Deimos. Deimos lowered his head to give Lio one final kiss, before they left their cosy corner to regroup with the rest. The squad waited for nightfall before entering Astera, hoping to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Before they entered, Rion told the two hunters.

‘Go and find Phil, tell him to meet me behind the research centre.’ The two hunters nodded as they left the group and into the base. Rion then turned to the group and continued, ‘All of you, this is not the same place we knew when we left. Do not expect anything to be familiar. Be on your guard.’ The team nodded, before Rion led the way into Astera. At first glance, the place was still pretty much the same, but on closer inspection, the little details were what really stood out. Lights were dimmer, marketplaces were quieter, smiles were scarcer. As one of the hunters walked past the squad, his face lit up as he pointed at them and shouted.

‘They’re back! The commande-…’ Rion signalled by sliding his right index finger across his throat before placing it over his lips, which immediately caused the hunter to cup his own mouth, shutting himself up. A small group gathered round the squad, chattering, and cheering quietly. Rion then addressed them.

‘It’s good to see all of you, but we have important work to do. Listen to me very carefully…’ Rion explained the squad’s plan to them and how they intend to remain anonymous in terms of their roles in Astera. The hunters were not to divulge their true responsibilities to their superiors. Rion did, however, instruct them to let everyone know that they have returned. The dozen or so hunters nodded obediently as they ran off and back to the dormitories, spreading the good news. Dr Ena then questioned.

‘Are you sure it’s a good idea to spread word of our return? Why not just let it ease in slowly? Or not at all?’ Rion sighed as he replied.

‘The people of Astera are in desperate need of hope, doctor. And right now, our return is the only thing that can give them that.’

‘Sir! The commander and the team have returned!’ Phil turned around to see the two hunters as he ran up to them and cupped their mouths.

‘Quiet! Do not ever mention that word unless you’re referring to me!’ The two hunters smiled at each other as they whispered back.

‘They are back! And they intend to…’ The other hunter elbowed his friend as he relayed the more important piece of information.

‘The commande-… I mean, Rion, said to meet him behind the research centre…’ At last, a smile appeared on Phil’s face. Phil thanked the two hunters for their help, and told them to report back to Stero as he rushed to meet Rion.

‘Remember what I said, be on your guard.’ Rion said this before dismissing the squad, everyone parting ways. Dr Ena looked at the squad and said.

‘I know this is a terrible time to say this, but I fear that there may not be any other opportunity to say this, so… It was an absolute pleasure journeying with you lot. I would trust my life with no other group of hunters…’ Dr Ena then turned to Rhodes and continued, ‘or handler…’ The group smiled in response except Rhen as she said.

‘Stop being so gloomy. We will celebrate once we beat some sense into this bunch of tits. I’ll look forward to it, doc!’ Dr Ena smiled and nodded at Rhen, before leaving their company. The remaining five turned to look at one another as they wondered where they should go. Eros grumbled as he gripped his left shoulder with his right hand.

‘I’m seriously beat, I could use a nice warm bed and half a day of sleep…’ Rhen then added.

‘And some food. I could really use some canteen food…’ Rhodes snapped both of them back to reality with her fingers.

‘Hey! There’s no time for either of that. Look, we are no longer in the Astera that we used to be in. That means rules have changed!’ Deimos turned to Rhodes and asked.

‘So what do you suggest we do?’ Rhodes looked down silently as she remained deep in thought before responding.

‘Might I suggest we go around and speak to as many people as we can to find out what we’re really dealing with here. That way we can decide what we should be doin-…’ A high-pitched voice emerged from behind them, interrupting Rhodes’ sentence.

‘And why are five slackers crowding around, in the middle of the market, pretending that there’s no work to be done?! Looks like some people are asking to be punished!’ Everyone turned toward the harsh comment except Lio, who remained with his back facing the source of the threat. Stero approached Lio and screamed at him, ‘Some of you really don’t value your life. I like it, it makes taking it away from your miserable corpse that much easie-…’ Lio now turned his body slowly to face Stero, interrupting her.

‘Hello, Stero.’ Stero’s face immediately flashed a blank expression as she took a few steps back. A glimpse of compassion and warmth could be seen on her face momentarily as she stared directly into Lio’s soft grey eyes. The group were a little confused with what was happening, but knew that something was seriously amiss, so Rhen ruined the moment by saying.

‘What in the hell is going on? Weren’t you threatening us? Why did you stop?’ This comment slapped Stero back into reality as she blinked multiple times to clear her head before turning to face Rhen, the familiar maniacal smile reappearing.

‘It seems that I will need to have a separate session for you bunch of insolent pricks. No matter, it can be easily arranged!’ Lio walked up slowly, with a concerned look on his face.

‘Stero, what happened to you?’ Stero laughed as she responded.

‘I grew up, Lio. Unlike you, I am stronger now. Unchained, unhinged, I’m free of authority, free of restrictions, free of you…!’ Lio continued his advance toward Stero until he was uncomfortably close to Stero when she drew her slivery blade and placed it next to his jugular. Deimos and the rest instinctively placed their hands on the handles of their weapons, about to unsheathe them. Stero took notice and giggled as she said, ‘Interesting friends you have here, Lio…’ Lio allowed the blade to lick his skin as he started shaking his head slowly in disappointment. Stero laughed out loud as she sheathed her blade, leaving a small cut on Lio’s neck, and turning her back toward him and left. Lio shed a tear as he saw Stero walk away, muttering to himself.

‘What did they do to you…?’ Stero was seen violently grabbing one of the hunters by the collar and giving him some verbal instructions. Lio and the group were out of earshot, but it was clear the instructions were meant for them as the hunter turned his head to look at them, before turning back to face Stero and nodding his head frantically in fear. When she let him go, he ran over to the group and said.

‘Uhh... This way, I’m meant to show you guys to your bunk.’ Rhen laughed and commented.

‘Is it just me, or are the hunters nowadays terrible with their grammer...’ Rhodes frowned at her and asked.

‘What's wrong with his grammer?’ Rhen shouted.

‘He said bunk. As in singular. He couldn’t have possibly meant a singular room where the five of us have to squeeze in right?’ A few moments later, the five were led to an old, humble shed, structurally similar to the dormitories they were introduced to when they first arrived but visually much less inviting. The hunter opened the door, and there were five bed rolls on the old wooden floor in the room, with a small fire pit in the middle, together with a metallic scaffolding which supported a pot. Rhodes elbowed Rhen in the gut and said.

‘You fucking jinxed it...’ Rhen dug her fingers into her hair as she stood at the entrance of the bunk, stunned and mortified. Deimos and Lio exchanged looks as the other three went in first, along with Phobos. As Lio was about to step in, Deimos grabbed his arm, stopping him. Lio turned around and smiled at Deimos, placing his hand over Deimos’. Deimos then asked.

‘Are you going to be ok?’ Lio patted the hand he was holding as he replied.

‘I'll be fine. If anything, it’s you I’m worried about...’ Deimos perked his brows in confusion at that sound of that statement. Lio then explained. ‘I know how to deal with this lot, I know them, so I will be able to take care of myself. But you guys...’ Lio then turned to steal a glance at the other three before turning back to face Deimos. Lio placed his hand on Deimos’ cheek, feeling the warm sensation in his palms as Deimos turned his head to give Lio's palm a kiss. Deimos let out a sigh as he let go of Lio’s arm and looked away. Lio then said, ‘Hey, you wanna go for a walk?’ Deimos turned back to face Lio with a rather blank expression as he nodded in agreement. Lio then skipped happily to Deimos’ side, wrapping his right arm over his shoulder and leading him out of the dormitories, back to the marketplace.

‘Rion! It’s so good to see you, I...’ Rion embraced Phil tightly before breaking off promptly from the hug and apologising.

‘Old friend, this should never have been your burden to bear. I am terribly sorry.’ Phil shook his head and patted Rion on the shoulder as a sign of reaffirmation. Rion flashed a quick smile before wearing his serious expression. ‘Now, fill me in.’ Phil quickly brought Rion’s attention to everything major that has happened the past week. From the change in authority and regime to the compromised hunter’s guild. Even the details of the hunter’s death was not spared from Rion as Phil shared his heartfelt guilt.

‘Argos has a message for you as well.’ Rion asked curiously.

‘What is it?’ Phil shook his head and said.

‘I refused to listen in. At this point, knowing less seems to work better for me. I don’t trust myself to keep a secret in the presence of these demons anymore.’ Rion nodded in appreciation as Phil continued, ‘I have also told Arges that I am the commander of Astera. I thought it would be advantageous if your true value was kept from them.’ Rion gave another appreciative nod as he continued listening to Phil’s update. ‘And I may have also made a bit of a blunder...’ This piqued Rion’s attention as he prompted.

‘What happened?’ Phil said with apologetic eyes.

‘I approached Oros for help. These guys have weapons designed for killing. Not just monsters, but anything that stood in their way. Our hunters are desperately underequipped. So I came up with some blueprints, going to him hoping that he would help me fuse the energy of the crystals with the weapons so that we have a fighting chance...’ Rion then interrupted.

‘Fuse the wha-... Has no one learnt any lessons from the previous incident?!’ Phil replied.

‘I’m sorry Rion, but I really did not know what else to do.’ While Rion was fuming with rage, his heart was also aching with sympathy. He forced himself to resist lashing out and to just deal with the situation at hand. But the full story was not yet told, as Phil continued.

‘Unfortunately, those blueprints were handed over to Arges.’

‘What?! By who?’ Phil said shakily.

‘Well, by Oros himself...’ Rion buried his face in his palm when he heard that. He was already feeling the stress of a leader returning upon his shoulders quickly as he tried to maintain calm amidst this chaos. He took in a deep breath and looked back up at Phil, asking.

‘Ok. Its ok, we’ll deal with this one step at a time. I trust you are to bring me to see Arges now? And report to him that I have returned?’ Phil nodded, as Rion stood up and prompted Phil to lead the way.

‘You better leave now, before the ship leaves without you...’ Arges teased as Bron was packing the last of his things.

‘Maybe I should just pretend that I missed the boat and forget the fucking report...’ Arges laughed as he walked up to his brother, swinging his arm around Bron’s shoulders.

‘Yeah, and maybe I should just pretend that you’re not my brother and stick you down the slums to work like every other hunter. I’m pretty sure Stero would enjoy that as much as I would...’ Bron hit his brother’s arm off his shoulder as he swung his small bag pack over his right shoulder and walking out of the tent. Shortly after Bron’s departure, Phil entered the tent with Rion by his side. Phil cleared his throat as he said.

‘Sir, Rion has returned.’ Arges turned to flash Rion a big yet unsettling smile as he approached him.

‘Ahh, welcome, welcome. I heard from the commander that you are Astera’s greatest asset. In terms of experience, am I right?’ Rion offered no response as he stared at Arges. Arges frowned and turned to Phil saying. ‘Did you educate this old dog before bringing him in here to speak with me?’ Before Phil could respond, Rion replied.

‘I know who you are.’ Arges nodded slowly in confusion as he continued.

‘Well, then why aren’t you showing me the respect I deserve?’ Rion chuckled as he replied.

‘I am...’ Arges took a moment to process the indirect insult hurled into his face as the smile turned into an intimidating glare. This glare did not last, however, as the uneasy grin reappeared.

‘It seems that you are not used to how we run things around here. No matter, no matter...’ Arges began circling Rion slowly as he spoke. Phil was still standing beside him, so Arges circled the both of them, walking in an oval shape motion. ‘I don’t expect you to adjust immediately, but I expect you to adjust quickly. Because the longer you take, the more casualties there will b-...’ Arges then slid his small silvery blade out of its scabbard and swung it towards Phil’s neck. Just before it collided with his neck, a hand grabbed onto Arges’ forearm, stopping the blade just before it touched the flesh. The three of them traced the hand all the way to the face of the figure standing beside Arges. Arges screamed furiously, ‘Let me go, or I will have you killed to-...’

‘I wouldn’t do that, if I were you...’ The familiar figure unhooded himself to reveal his identity to the three of them as he continued. ‘While I admire your bloodlust, I must caution you against eliminating certain individuals at this point of time. Surely you recognise the danger of a resistance if certain figures of hope and authority are removed from the picture?’ Oros stared at Phil as he said this, causing Arges to look at Phil too. Rion, however, was staring directly at Oros, not with eyes of anger, but rather of curiousity. ‘Might I suggest we ensure all of their usefulness is spent before indulging in such decadence?’ Arges’ ferocity was diminishing as he lowered his blade. As soon as Oros saw this, he released his grip on Arges’ arm. As Arges stood silent for a moment, deep in thought, he eventually looked up at the two, flashing a familiar smile before saying.

‘Get out of my face.’ With that, the two left the tent obediently.

‘Apart from the atmosphere, this place still feels like home doesn’t it?’ Lio exclaimed as he looked up.

‘Atmosphere is everything, Lio...’ Lio looked down and nudged Deimos with his shoulder, as if to cheer him up.

‘Yeah, that’s why I feel so at home as long as I’m with you...’ Deimos turned to Lio frowning while feeling his cheeks starting to warm up.

‘You’re so damn cheesy Lio, makes my hair stand...’ Lio then leaned in to whisper into Deimos’ ear.

‘I’m more interested if something else was standing...’ Deimos’ pupils dilated at the sound of that as he pushed Lio away, seeing his hand reaching for his crotch. The two of them made their way up to the canteen, where they saw the fire die out significantly. Many of the stone ovens were covered up and not in use, once again, reflecting the barren and stale atmosphere. Lio stood there staring at the grim sight before him, as Deimos muttered.

‘This is depressing...’ Lio nodded to that, as they turned around to leave. Just as they were about to leave, Lio heard a familiar voice cry out to him.

‘Lio!’ He turned around and saw a tall figure with shoulder-long hair, adorning an emerald earring. He ran toward Lio and threw himself onto him, the two of them embracing each other. Deimos took a step back to give them a bit of space. Lio broke from the embrace and replied.

‘Bron...! It’s good to see you man...’ Bron placed his hands on Lio’s shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze as he replied.

‘And you! How have you been?’ Lio smiled and replied.

‘I’ve been good. What about you?’

‘Ohh, same old family drama, nothing new. This whole conquering the world nonsense always seems to be on somebody’s mind. I was never bothered by it anyway, but you know, got dragged into it...’ Bron now slid his hands to the side, feeling Lio’s muscular arms while conveniently tightening his grip on them. Lio, as usual, paid this service no heed. Deimos would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a tad bit defensive, but this was nothing he could not handle. Besides, he knew where Lio’s heart was and that was enough. Still, this was not something he could totally ignore. Lio noticed the bag Bron was carrying and asked him.

‘You going somewhere?’

‘My stupid brother instructed me to fetch something from the Old World. Apparently my dad wants to pass us something...’ Lio turned to look at Deimos, who was staring blankly at him. Before Lio could respond, Bron took notice of Deimos and said, ‘Ohh, I didn’t see your charming friend over here...’ Bron left Lio’s side and went over to Deimos, blatantly checking him out from head to toe before reaching out his right hand, offering it for a handshake. ‘I’m Bron, nice to meet you...’ Deimos looked over to Lio, and offered his right hand to Bron, firmly shaking it.

‘Deimos, nice to meet you to-...’ Bron then forcefully pulled Deimos in before allowing him to finish his sentence. Bron leaned his face in toward Deimos’ neck and took a whiff. He retracted his head as he smiled at Deimos who was very tense at the point. Bron laughed and patted Deimos on the shoulder, relaxing his muscles.

‘Relax Deimos. You smell good.’ Deimos flashed a worried look toward Lio who was, as usual, laughing at him. Bron turned back to Lio and said.

‘So where are you staying?’ Lio replied.

‘We’re staying at the dormitories.’ Bron frowned and said.

‘What? You are staying in that shithole? How about you come up and stay with me?’ Lio was a little taken aback by Bron’s offer and replied hesitantly.

‘Umm... Thanks for the offer dude, but I’m not sure if Stero...’ Bron rolled his eyes as he cut Lio off.

‘You let me handle my sister. Besides, it’ll be like old times. Just the four of us!’ Deimos was trying to signal Lio to take the offer by nodding at him behind Bron's back. Lio sighed and turned back to Bron and said.

‘Alright buddy, just like old times...’


	44. Refracted Projections

‘Awesome! Can’t wait to tell the rest that you’re back. Imagine how excited they’ll be…!’ Bron exclaimed as he looked straight into Lio’s eyes. Lio stole an awkward glance at Deimos before turning back to face Bron, saying.

‘I actually bumped into Stero earlier…’ Bron raised his brows as he replied.

‘Ohh? Cool, in that case Arges would probably hear about it soon. Don’t have too much fun before I get back aight?’ Bron closed in for a kiss on Lio’s cheek before running off. Deimos was a little confused with the nature of their relationship, as he looked at Lio blankly.

‘Babe, we should talk.’ Lio turned to Deimos as he said. Then almost immediately, Lio heaved a heavy sigh and looked away with his right hand digging his fingers in his hair, clearly in frustration. Deimos inched closer and interlocked his right fingers with Lio’s left hand. This sensation caused Lio to turn his gaze back at Deimos, his oceanic blue eyes instantly soothing him down. A smile emerged on Deimos’ face, reassuring Lio as he returned it. Deimos allowed the silence to linger for a brief moment before he said to his partner.

‘At your own time, Lio.’ Lio felt a sudden warmth in his chest when he heard Deimos. He was drowning in affection and was increasingly eager to take Deimos there and then, but a loud heavy voice emerged from behind them, disrupting the moment.

‘Lio! What a wonderful surprise…’ The two males immediately let go of each other’s hands as they turned toward the source of the interruption. Arges walked slowly toward them as Lio flashed a smile and greeted him.

‘Arges! How are you?’ Arges maintained the persistent smile on his face as he replied.

‘Never better. So, you were part of this Rion expedition squad?’ Lio nodded as Arges turned his gaze to Deimos. ‘And who is your friend here?’ Lio turned to face Deimos and introduced him to Arges.

‘Ohh this is Deimos, a close friend of mine. He was in the squad to-…’ Arges then interrupted.

‘I trust you’ve already met Stero and Bron?’ Lio recollected himself after the rude cut-off, as he delayed his response.

‘Umm, yeah. I actually just met Bron a few moments ago, he said he was going t-…’

‘So where did Stero statio-…’ It was now Lio’s turn to interrupt Arges as he said to him, irritated.

‘Arges, dude, you alright man?’ Lio approached Arges, placing his hands firmly on his shoulders. Arges violently hit Lio’s arms off with both his hands. ‘Hey! Easy…’ Arges then said to Lio, calmly.

‘Touch me again and I will cut your miserable hands off, am I clear?’ Lio frowned at that response and just stood dumbfounded.

‘What the hell is up with you gu-…?’ Arges then raised his voice ever louder.

‘Am I clear?!’ Lio took a step back, remaining silent for a brief moment as he cleared his throat before responding.

‘Yes, we’re clear…’ Arges now plastered his smile back on his face as he nodded at Lio, pleased.

‘Good, very good. See you around then!’ Arges took his leave shortly after. Lio turned to Deimos and shook his head, saying.

‘These are not the same people I knew before… I have no idea what the hell happened to them…’ Deimos calmed him down saying.

‘We’ll figure it out Lio, but I think that’s enough meeting of old friends for one day…’ Lio nodded in agreement as he followed Deimos back to the dormitories.

Arges returned to his tent and saw Oros looking through his reports from the guild, or Phaestus, to be exact. Arges said as he walked over.

‘Very rude of you, to look through other people’s things without asking for permission…’ Oros chuckled to himself without turning to face Arges as he replied.

‘My services to you are only as useful as you allow them to be. And the more I know, the more I will be able to advis-…’ Arges screamed at Oros before he was able to finish his sentence.

‘Your usefulness will be determined by me! If I catch you sticking your nose into things that are not your business one more time, I will not hesitate to get rid of you!’ Oros smiled to himself as he placed the reports down and turning to face Arges as he replied.

‘Very well.’ Oros placed the report in his hand down on the table, as he walked away from the desk. Arges recomposed himself before changing the subject.

‘What do you need to create the weapons that you so generously offered to me?’ Oros sniggered as he replied.

‘Well, since we don’t have to change the metallic frame of the weapon, all I really require are the energy crystals and pure elder dragon blood.’ Arges turned to stare at Oros as he asked.

‘Which one?’ Oros laughed out loud as he mocked.

‘Very funny.’ Arges raised his brow in confusion as Oros started to realise that he was not joking. Oros exhaled in disappointment as he continued, ‘Every elder dragon has the same energy signature coursing through their veins. They are the pinnacle of Gaia’s creation. As you know, Elder’s specialise in changing their external environments to suit themselves. This is different for most creatures, where they change internally to suit the environment. So, what this means, is that…’ Arges then caught up quickly as he completed.

‘Every Elder’s blood is exactly the same.’ Oros smiled as he nodded.

‘Catching on quickly, I like that…’ Arges glared at Oros, to ensure that he was not mocking him with that statement since his tone was questionable. Oros stood up and walked towards Arges’ weapon as he continued, ‘So your current weapon uses the energy that is already converted into a form that is useful to Zorah. In other words, it has been weakened.’ Oros stressed that word as he turned to look at Arges, who was clearly affected by it. ‘But if I had the energy in its purest form, I could use the blood of an Elder to stabilise the energy signature without weakening it, allowing you to do whatever you wish with it.’ At the sound of this, a wide smile appeared on Arges’ face. But it quickly diminished significantly as he asked.

‘But how can a liquid house the energy source and be weaponised?’ Oros let out another laughter as he replied.

‘Forgive me, but I assumed that this was common knowledge. Elder Dragons’ blood does not remain as liquids when outside of the body. It behaves as all three physical states of matter, making it exceedingly useful. Being able to change its state at will, it does scream adaptation, doesn’t it?’ Arges was indifferent about all this information but was glad that it was not overlooked by Oros. Arges then asked the final important question.

‘Well then, doctor, where do you suppose we find an Elder Dragon?’ Oros smirked as he said.

‘Why, the Ancient Forest, of course…’ Arges frowned as he replied.

‘What? Why?’ Oros clarified.

‘After seeing everything that’s happened, it makes sense that at least one of them will return there…’ Oros began mumbling to himself as he said that sentence softly. Arges squinted as he struggled to catch Oros’ words.

‘One of them? What in the hell are you talking about?’ Oros looked up at Arges as he responded.

‘I am talking about the Tempest, the Decrepit, and the Predator…’

Bron arrived at the Argosy, just before it was about to depart. Argos saw Bron get on board and greeted him.

‘Very glad that you could join us, we will be leaving soon.’ Bron grumbled in response.

‘Yeah let’s get this over and done with. Can’t wait to return.’ Argos’ ears perked when he heard that, so he clarified.

‘What’s the hurry? If you don’t mind me asking…’ Bron flashed Argos an intimidating stare before loosening his gaze and replying.

‘An old friend just returned, and we haven’t spoken in a while. So, I’m eager to catch up, that’s all.’ At the sound of that, Argos dropped his equipment and replied.

‘Ohh, I see. That’s nice.’ He then walked over slowly to one of his crew members and said. ‘Do not leave without me, I need ten minutes.’ Argos alighted from the ship and rushed up the elevator toward Rion’s old tent.

Rion and Phil were walking about the upper levels of Astera, talking about the situation at hand when Argos found them just outside the smithy. Argos ran over and said.

‘Rion! I have to relay a message before I leave.’ Rion looked at Argos and calmed him down as he turned periodically to face Phil. Once Argos caught his breath, he spoke up and continued, ‘Ranus told me to hand this to you, and…’ As Rion saw the amulet, a part of him felt a strong sense of hopelessness, for a part of him could guess the message that followed. Rion looked up to Argos and prompted him to continue his sentence. ‘And he told me to tell you that the sapphire star will guide you no longer. I trust that it means something to you more than it does to me because I…’ Rion placed his hand on Argos, cutting him short of finishing his sentence as he responded.

‘No worries, it does. Thank you.’ Rion folded his fingers and clenched his fist with the amulet in his palm as he said shakily. Argos nodded as he took his leave, departing on the Argosy shortly after. Phil turned to Rion and asked.

‘So, what exactly does it mean?’ Rion continued staring down at the amulet as he replied.

‘It means that we are alone in this fight…’ Phil perked his brows as he asked.

‘What makes you so sure, sir?’ Rion now turned to looked at Phil as he replied.

‘Ranus was always an extremely blunt and straightforward person.’ Phil frowned and rebutted.

‘That doesn’t really sound like a direct message.’ Rion smiled as he said.

‘Well I did say he was blunt and straightforward. When he is unable to relay the message himself, he does have a habit of being cryptic… He’s umm...’ Rion noticed a judgemental stare emerging from Phil’s face, so he took great care to pick his next adjective carefully. ‘Interesting’, Phil nodded slowly, with the grin still plastered across his face as he stared at Rion.

Back in the dorm, Rhodes was preparing some food for the team after having close to nothing to eat throughout their journey back. Rhen’s tummy was grumbling as if it were alive and complaining about the lack of food as she sat eagerly beside Rhodes, constantly asking if the food was ready.

‘Unless you wanna eat rock hard potatoes, you gotta give me some more time!’ Rhodes tried explaining to Rhen as she was struggling to handle the cooking with one hand and swatting Rhen’s annoying arms away with the other. Eros was unpacking their stuff and getting the bunk nice and cosy for the team, so he did not notice the commotion by the fireplace. Phobos was exhausted and was snoring loudly as he lay on his back in the middle of the room with his mouth wide open. The two gentlemen arrived back at the bunk, and quickly came in to help, with Lio helping Rhodes with the food and Deimos helping Eros with the unpacking.

‘Lio! Tell her to cook faster!’ Lio glared at Rhen and placed his right index finger over his lips. Rhen started swinging her arms up and down like a child throwing a tantrum. Rhodes stared at her and started shaking her head in annoyance at the scene she was creating. Lio chuckled to himself and asked Rhodes.

‘Do you rather I help with the cooking or with...’ Lio then jerked his eyebrows while looking at Rhen, signalling his intentions to Rhodes. Rhodes gave him an unamused look as she replied.

‘What do you think, smart ass?’ Lio retreated a little at the aggressive reply and said.

‘Woah, ok, right on it, ma’am!’ Lio got up and went over to Rhen, placing his hands on her shoulder. This caused Rhen to shut her mouth momentarily as she tilted her head backwards to look at Lio from under his chin.

‘What are you doing?’ Lio winked at her as he replied.

‘Giving you a massage...’ Before Rhen could say anything, Lio dug his thumbs into her shoulder, causing a sharp sensation to rush through her body as she squealed in pain.

‘AHH YOU FUCKER!’ Rhen got up quickly and turned around, pouncing on Lio as he started laughing. Rhodes turned to look at the two now on the floor, rolling and grabbing at each other as she shook her head like a disappointed mother.

‘So where did you guys go just now?’ Eros enquired.

‘We were just taking a stroll around Astera.’ Eros turned to Deimos and flashed a smile as he commented.

‘That’s nice!’ Deimos returned the smile but it faded quickly as he replied.

‘Yeah well, Astera’s not as nice as it used to be though...’ This response wiped the smile off Eros’ face shortly after. The two of them now looking at the ground blankly, possibly reminiscing better days. Eros then reached out to place his right hand over Deimos’ left hand as he sent another smile to Deimos. Deimos looked up and into Eros’ eyes as he heard Eros say.

‘At least we have one another. I mean Astera isn’t a physical place right? It’s the people that create the atmosphere...’ Deimos smiled at Eros’ enthusiasm as he nodded in agreement. The calm moment the two of them were sharing was abruptly interrupted as Deimos felt a strong force collide against his back, pushing him forward. Before he could turn around, a familiar annoying voice filled his ears.

‘Yo wonder boy, come and play with us!’ Deimos rolled his eyes, immediately realising who it was, so he straightened his back and flung Rhen backwards and off him, causing her to fall on Lio. Lio then said.

‘Why are you always disturbing Deimos and Ero-... Come here!’ Lio grabbed Rhen’s belt, disallowing her from getting close to the other two again. As she struggled more, her coil started slipping down, revealing her undergarments. Rhen, realising a sudden cool sensation in her nether regions, began screaming.

‘RAPE! LIO IS RAPING ME AGAIN! HEL-...!’ Deimos was now the one to lunge forward to cup her mouth.

‘Stop screaming, you fucking psych-...’ Deimos retracted his hand as quickly as he placed them over Rhen’s mouth the moment he felt a squishy and wet object press against his palm. He saw Rhen sticking out her tongue and flashing him a naughty grin immediately after. Lio threw himself on top of Rhen, causing her face to fall flat onto the timber floor. Lio was careful not to rest his full body weight on her, lest he crush her to death. Despite his cautious manoeuvres, Rhen was found to be motionless on the floor after he did this. Deimos just looked at her body as he wiped his moist palm on his coil as he asked.

‘Is she dead?’ Lio wore a brief worried look as he got off of her quickly and turned her over. Her eyes were shut and her mouth was open, as if she were asleep, with the exception of her usual loud snoring routine. The three guys closed in on her face slowly to check for any signs of life. Eros then looked up and stared at Lio saying.

‘I think you killed her...’ Lio now closed in until he was naught but an inch away from her face. Then without warning, Rhen spat in his face and used her left hand to slap his left cheek hardly. Lio threw himself back and fell down. Deimos was lucky enough to dodge her spit and turned his attention to Lio who was now frantically trying to wipe the spittle from his face. Rhen took this opportunity to jump on top of him as she screamed.

‘You obese pig! You’re goddamn heavy you know that?!’ Lio laughed as he realised Rhen had a rather prominent red bump on her forehead. Rhen started slapping Lio on his chest while Eros and Deimos laughed at the scene.

‘Dinner’s ready.’ Rhodes said abruptly as Rhen continued her slapping session. Deimos signalled Eros to go over first while he saved his boyfriend.

‘Ok that’s enough...’ Deimos muttered softly as he held Rhen by the back of her collar with his right hand and tossed her off to the side, freeing Lio from her pin. He reached out his right hand to help Lio up, which he gladly took. But instead of Deimos pulling Lio up, Lio pulled Deimos down, causing him to fall on top of Lio, with their faces directly in front of each other. Deimos smiled as he said.

‘Dinner’s ready, Lio...’ Lio gave a naughty smile as he replied.

‘Yeah I know...’ Deimos tried to get up but found Lio’s arms wrapped round his back, holding him down. So he replied.

‘So... Let’s go eat?’ Lio frowned at Deimos as he said.

‘Go where? My dinner’s right here...’ Deimos rolled his eyes as he struggled his way out of Lio’s embrace. Lio chuckled to himself as he freed Deimos and joined the rest by the fire. The squad, for the first time in a long while, were finally having a meal back home, though it hardly felt like one. Understandable, considering the new change in leadership and atmosphere of the place they used to call home, coupled with the fact that they were thoroughly exhausted not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally as well. The team found themselves munching through their meal in silence and retreating to their respective corners to catch their much needed rest. The past few days being extremely exhausting, with the days ahead sure of being equally if not more tiresome. With Rhodes and Rhen finishing their meal first and returning to their beds, the three gentlemen were left by the dwindling fire. Eros smiled at Lio and Deimos as he too took his leave to rest together with Phobos. Deimos was about to leave as well, when Lio held onto Deimos’ hand, without uttering a word. Deimos sat back down when he felt Lio’s hand and looked at him with a confused look. Lio turned to Deimos and just smiled at him, the two of them staying this way for a rather long while, before Lio spoke up.

‘Thank you’, Deimos perked his brows as he asked.

‘For...?’

‘Staying by my side. You have no idea how much easier things have been for me by just knowing that you’re here with me.’ Needless to say, Deimos was moved by Lio’s sweet words but he was a little lost as to why they were even spoken. It fuelled a little fear in him as he tried to decipher Lio’s intentions. Deimos then spoke up, attempting to clarify.

‘Umm... Yeah, I mean, of course I’ll be here for you. Why are you saying this though? Is there something on your mind?’ Lio just smiled and said to Deimos.

‘There are a lot of things on my mind right now. And while I do have a lot that I wish to tell you, I just felt like I haven’t really thanked you explicitly, so...’ Deimos tapped Lio’s hand lightly with his free hand to reassure him. Lio then continued, ‘and you know I don’t have to stay with Bron. In fact, I don’t want to. I want to stay here with you an-...’ Deimos cupped Lio’s mouth as he interrupted.

‘Lio, at this point, it really isn’t about what we want anymore. We need to find out what they are up to, and this is a good chance. So make use of it...’ Lio sighed and exhaled a breath of warm air against Deimos’ palm that was cupped against his mouth, reflecting Lio’s reluctance. Lio held onto Deimos’ hand that was over his mouth and moved it over to his right cheek as he took in the warmth from his fleshy palm. Lio shut his eyes to enjoy the company of his lover. Deimos just looked at him, enjoying the moment equally much. Deimos then asked abruptly.

‘So what were you planning for us?’ Lio’s eyes shot wide open at the sound of that question as he looked up at Deimos, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. Deimos could feel the warming cheeks with his hand still placed against it.

‘Well, I uhh...’ Deimos laughed as he saw Lio tripping over his own words. He rarely witnessed Lio in such a manner and was thoroughly entertained. Lio looked away and placed his right hand behind his neck as he continued, ‘It’s kind of a surprise. But if you really wanna kno-... *mmmhh*’ Lio was cut short of finishing his sentence as Deimos leaned in for a kiss. This time, he was the one initiating and pressing his tongue against Lio’s mouth; a rather pleasant surprise for Lio. Unlike Deimos, however, Lio caught up fairly quickly as he cooperated with Deimos to choreograph a dance with their lips and tongues. After one swift biting motion from Deimos on Lio’s upper lip, Lio moved back to end the kiss as he said, ‘Now I kinda wanna tell yo-...’ But before Lio could finish, Deimos interrupted him saying.

‘Shut up...’ As he leaned back in to continue the kiss. Lio wrapped his hands around Deimos’ body and pulled him in. Deimos sat on Lio’s lap, with his legs crossed around Lio’s abdomen while Lio’s arms remained round Deimos’ waist. Deimos’ arms were wrapped round Lio’s neck, feeling the warmth of his skin against his flexed biceps. As the two of them continued their intimate kiss, they could feel their heartbeats rising, and their body temperatures following suit. Which, interestingly, caused both of them to open their eyes and slow their kiss down, ultimately coming to a stop. They remained in that position looking at each other, as Lio leaned in slowly to lick the popping veins that ran along Deimos’ neck. He gave them a few gentle nibbles as he descended slowly, eventually reaching his broad chest. Lio snuggled his face between the two prominent bulges, feeling them brush against his cheeks slightly. Deimos helped him as he placed his right hand behind Lio’s head, providing a little force. Lio stuck out his tongue to gently glaze the brown skin and take in the slight salty taste of Deimos.

‘Uhhh...’ Deimos let out a soft audible moan, which turned Lio on quite a bit. Lio transitioned a little lower and was welcomed by the first two packs of Deimos’ well-defined abs. Lio diligently traced the distinct contours with his tongue, occasionally brushing his lips against them. Lio then moved to the right and went upward, marrying his lips to Deimos’ left nipple. Upon feeling this, Deimos shot his eyes open and dug his fingers into Lio’s scalp as he looked down. ‘Lio... Wait...’ When Lio heard this, he stopped immediately and reeled his head back, looking up at Deimos.

‘What’s wrong?’ Deimos sighed as he said.

‘You sure you want to do it now?’ Lio was a little confused with Deimos’ question because he did not have sex in mind either. But regardless, Deimos was wise to stop him as the sexual drive these two had for each other was considered to be rather intense, and they had the tendency of getting lost in the heat of the moment. Lio replied.

‘We don’t have to, if you’re not up to it...’ Deimos smiled as he voiced his concerns.

‘I’m fine with it, it’s just...’ Deimos paused, as if finding the right words to say. ‘I don’t know what to expect from this place anymore, and Astera no longer feels like home. I guess what I’m trying to say is...’ Lio smiled at Deimos, clearly empathetic to what he was trying to say, but allowed him to finish on his own. Deimos frowned at Lio’s smile and said, ‘What’s so funny?’ Lio perked his brows and defended.

‘Nothing! Finish what you wanted to say!’ Deimos snapped out of it as he continued.

‘I just don’t want what we have to be taken away from us. Or cause any trouble, or...’ Lio released his grip on Deimos’ waist and placed both his hands on Deimos’ cheeks as he said.

‘I get it. And I don’t want that either.’ A smile flashed across Deimos’ face as he heard that. Lio’s understanding really provided Deimos with a warm sense of security and comfort. Lio’s smile vanished as he looked Deimos straight in the eye, asking abruptly. ‘Do you trust me, Deimos?’ Deimos maintained his smile as he responded.

‘With my life...’ Lio looked down as he sighed. Deimos ignored the awkward question as he dropped his body on Lio, embracing him tightly before retreating to their corner. They still shared a bed, but decided to keep their physical contact to a bare minimum, at least for the time being. Of course Lio would sneak in an occasional kiss every now and then but as long as he was discrete, Deimos was more than happy to oblige. They exchanged one last kiss before turning their backs against each other, and falling asleep.

As the night turned cooler under the cover of the moon, Lio sat up slowly from his bed. He couldn’t sleep; in fact, this was not the first time he failed to surrender completely to slumber. It’s just that he was never one to complain, and so often he endured it in silence and solitude. Perhaps that was why he felt a deep and meaningful connection with Deimos, because for once, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, Deimos was able to give him something. This sense of openness and transparency, he had never felt it before, not even with Kly. Lio thought about all the things he loved about Deimos as he sat there watching over him, admiring his muscular back, resonating up and down slowly and calmly to his slow and strong heartbeat. Lio was so eager to embrace Deimos, but knew he couldn’t, not now. He had witnessed Deimos fall asleep more times than he would care to admit and therefore knew when Deimos was truly deep in his sleep. Deimos’ heartbeat was strong and prominent, but when he was asleep, it slowed down significantly. This was a fairly obvious observation after having countless nights where he rested on Lio when out in the field, Lio could not ignore such calm rhythms that emitted from his partner. Deimos also had a tendency to open his mouth slightly once he had fallen asleep, using the gap as both a channel of inhalation and exhalation. Most might find this unglamorous to a certain degree but Lio found it extremely adorable, at least when Deimos does it. Lio inched around Deimos, careful not to wake him up as he squat down and looked at Deimos sound asleep as he muttered softly.

‘Everything I do, I do because I love you.’ Lio then looked around the room to see his other comrades sound asleep with Rhen snoring extremely loudly, only second to Phobos. ‘Because I love all of you...’ Lio then stood up, and left the bunk, closing the door slowly and carefully behind him.

Lio went up to the upper levels of Astera, returning to the tents that once served as the squad’s humble homes. Three of the tents; Rhodes’, Rhen’s and Eros’ were emptied out for logistics and storage, while Rion’s tent was occupied by Arges, Lio’s tent by Stero and Deimos’ tent by Bron. Lio saw no light from any of the tents, so decided to enter the safest one first; Bron’s. Technically, Lio was not trespassing as Bron gave him permission to stay with him in his tent, so Lio helped himself in and made himself at home as he rummaged through his things. He was not trying to make a mess, but was trying to gather information on the situation at hand by looking for reports or orders. Nothing. This was to be expected, Arges was never one to trust easy, not even his own siblings. Lio sat by the bed, feeling the familiar texture of the soft fabric was not only bringing back memories of the time spent in this room with Deimos, but also the first time they met. A rather sweet memory, something Lio really needed in a time like this. He dug his fingers into the fabric as he clenched his fist, creasing the sheets. He brought it up to his nose as he took a whiff, a strong masculine musk could be picked up. Though the most prominent one was still that of Deimos, Bron’s scent was unmistakeably lingering as well. His expression of calmness slowly turning into rage and frustration as he tightened his grip on the sheets. The veins on his arms began popping as his biceps flexed in response, his gaze locked on the desk in the middle of the room.

‘ARGH!’ Lio threw the entire sheet across the room, landing it against an empty wooden shelf, which generated a rather soft and gentle thump. A tear formed in Lio’s eye as he maintained his intimidating stare across the tent. ‘Is this the only way...?’ Lio mumbled to himself as his rage began subsiding slowly. As soon as Lio composed himself, he got up and tidied the room before leaving Bron’s tent. He decisively went into his previously owned tent, where Stero was. He entered and saw Stero lying in bed asleep. Lio entered slowly and quietly, looking down at her intently. At first, she seemed to be resting quite calmly, but after just a few brief seconds, Stero began tossing and turning in her sleep. As Lio continued looking at Stero toss and turn in her sleep, memories of their time spent together began filling his mind. Five years of joy and adventure were still somehow a part of who he was today. He did not regret a single moment spent with her or any of her brothers. And yet, the sight of her now tore a hole in Lio’s chest. He remembered the day where he would give his life willing for her, not that he wouldn’t now, despite her not being his lover, but rather because a shift of priorities has occurred in Lio’s life. In other words, her inherent value could never diminish in his eyes; it was just that Lio had found someone else now. Someone that he would die for, the same offer that he had for Stero now applied to many more people in his life, which regrettably made her pale in comparison. Though that was never the intention, the product of these series of events always seemed to portray it in a spiteful fashion. As Stero’s tossing began getting more violent, Lio was forced back to reality as he continued standing there, watching her. Then without warning, Stero sat up from her bed and drew her blade, swinging it in front of her. Lio was not close enough to her bed to be in harm’s way of her blade, but still, the moment she was awake enough to realise Lio was in her tent staring at her, she got up on her feet and charged straight at Lio with the unsheathed blade in her hand. Lio stood his ground and held onto Stero’s right arm, the one with the blade, stopping it just before it pierced the flesh on his left shoulder. Stero used her left hand to grab Lio’s left arm but was stopped again by his right hand, holding onto her wrist. Stero used her leg to kick at Lio’s ankle, attempting to topple him, but he skilfully lifted his feet and repositioned it behind her and moved forward. This caused her to lean back and lose her balance, but she did not fall as Lio was still holding on to both her arms, supporting her full body weight from falling onto the ground. Lio smiled at her as he said.

‘You haven’t changed one bit...’


	45. Eclipse of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

‘Are you asking to be killed? Let me go or I’ll gut you like a pig!’ Lio raised his brows and let go of Stero as he said.

‘I just want to talk.’ Stero glared at Lio and charged toward him again with the blade. This time, Lio was not as prepared as before, ducking his head and moving his body around Stero, reaching out with both of his hands to hold onto her wrists from behind, pinning her face against the wall, with her back pressed against his chest. Lio then whispered to her, ‘You are not very friendly are you? Don’t force me to talk to you like this...’ Stero then said.

‘I swear to God Lio, if you don’t let me go now, I will kill you and your whole squad!’ Lio sighed when he heard that. Before he released his grip on Stero, he said.

‘Look, I just wanna clear things up with you.’ Stero turned around violently and stopped her blade on Lio’s neck; similar to their first encounter in the marketplace. Lio sighed as he said, ‘If you want to kill me then do it. I don’t think I can live with myself seeing you like this...’ Stero was panting and still engulfed with rage as she stared Lio down with her menacing hazel brown eyes. As they continued locking eyes with each other, Stero’s breathing began getting heavier, as the muscles around her face started tensing up. Lio raised his hands slowly and placed them on her shoulders before he continued, ‘I’m sorry for leaving you...’ The tone coupled with the sincere apology seemed to soften Stero’s heart almost instantaneously as she relaxed her arm and lowered her blade ever so slightly. Her gaze loosened as well, as the strong frown across her face began to subside. Lio inched closer toward her, attempting to pull her in for a hug slowly, but before he could embrace her properly, Stero snapped back into reality and kneed Lio in the crotch, causing him to release his hold on her and retreating a few steps back. ‘OWWW!’ Lio squealed in pain as he clutched his groin with both his hands, feeling the sudden surge of discomfort ripple through to his head. Stero recomposed herself as she sheathed her blade and shouted at Lio.

‘You think a simple ‘sorry’ will fix everything Lio? Have you any idea how much pain you caused me?!’ Lio gave his violated groin a few more rubs to try and sooth it before standing up straight to offer Stero a reply.

‘Well, no, but I thought we were cool? I said we could go to the New World together and you said you weren’t interested but I could go if I wanted t-...’ Stero then screamed before Lio could finish.

‘I DIDN’T MEAN IT! Gosh, you boys are so fucking thick! Can’t you tell that I was just saying that to test how much you cared about me?!’ Lio unknowingly took a step back when he heard that, beginning to regret his decision to mend things with his ex.

‘I uhh...’ Stero was now the one advancing toward Lio.

‘If you really cared about me, you would’ve forsaken this childish dream of yours and stayed behind with your real family! Where a future was really possible! But no, it turns out five years meant nothing to you... Five years spent with me was clearly just to pass the time... Nothing really mattered to you, did it?’ At this juncture, Lio tried to defend himself saying.

‘What? No! What do you mean just to pass the time? I wouldn’t trade those five years for anything else in the worl-...’ Stero slapped Lio in the face with her right hand before he could finish.

‘Don’t sweet talk me you snake! You throw me to one side and now you want to make it up to me? What game are you playing?’ Lio continued looking at Stero as she stared him down. After allowing a brief moment of uncomfortable silence, Lio spoke up in response.

‘I just don’t want any bad blood between us Stero. I mean it pains me to see you like thi-...’ Stero then cut Lio off as she raised her voice at him saying.

‘Thank goodness you didn’t see me back in the Old World when you left me all alone then, you dirt bag!’ Lio’s chest began to tighten as he remained silent, looking sympathetically at Stero as she continued. ‘You’re wasting your time if you think you can fix this. Now get out of my face before I kill you!’ Lio stood there dumbfounded as Stero’s words pierced through his heart, cutting deep. He never fathomed the hurt and damage that he caused her to run so deep. This was undoubtedly going to make things very tricky and exceedingly complicated. Lio decided not to push Stero any longer lest it ruin the chances of him mending things with her. Yes, deep down he still believed that there was a chance that he could get through to her. He had to hold on to that, otherwise he would not know what else he would do. As Lio was about to exit the tent, he was stopped when a dark figure emerged from it, entering the tent.

‘What is all the ruckus about in the middle of the night?!’ Lio was still a little lost in his own thoughts as he tried to come up with a suitable response to Arges, who was now blocking the entrance of the tent. Stero spared Lio the embarrassment as she replied.

‘It’s none of your fucking business. Now you two, get out!’ Arges smiled when he heard his sister’s reply and stared at Lio as the two of them exited the tent. Before Lio could leave, however, Arges grabbed his arm to stop him.

‘Now, what on earth were you doing in my sister’s tent alone, and in the middle of the night? Is there a problem that requires my attention?’ Lio turned around and gently released Arges’ grip on his arm, unappreciative of his mannerism.

‘It’s nothing Arges. Stero and I were just... Talking...’ Arges raised his eyebrows as he said.

‘Talking? Really? Are the both of you deaf then?’ Lio looked away, reluctant to entertain such a hostile response. Arges then inched closer to Lio and said. ‘We may have been close before, but that was five years ago. Know your place, Lio...’ Lio did not flinch when he heard this, as he continued looking away from Arges, refusing to make eye contact with him. Arges smirked as his rebellious response, as he walked off and back into his tent.

Lio was left standing in the middle of the walkway, staring blankly at the overview of Astera. It was no less beautiful at night. In fact, he loved it even more when it was quiet and peaceful. He looked overhead at the large luminous moon, greeting him with her glistening lunar light. The sight of the clear night sky brought back memories of the time he met Deimos in the showering area, which urged him to pay it a visit as he adjourned over there without delay.

He undressed and entered the water, allowing the chilling waters to steal the heat away from his body. His body hair began to stand from the sudden drop in temperature as he submerged his whole body into the water. He moved over to the little cordoned off area where he remembered giving Deimos a back massage, as a smile appeared on his face. He sat down and looked back up at the night sky.

‘I wish there was another way...’ Lio muttered to himself as he sighed.

‘Another way to what?’ A familiar and soothing voice emerged from behind Lio, causing him to turn around quickly. Deimos undressed and was now entering the water, making his way toward Lio. Lio’s cheeks started warming up as he said.

‘Wha-... What are you doing here?’ Deimos walked up beside Lio and used his hip to nudge Lio to move over and make room so that Deimos could sit next to him.

‘I woke up and realised you weren’t in the bunk, so I figured you’ll be here. Thank god I was right, otherwise I would be wondering around Astera aimlessly looking for my lost boyfriend...’ Deimos chuckled to himself as he completed his sentence while staring up at the moon. ‘This is nice...’ Deimos then began scooping water with his right hand and pouring it along his left arm. Lio turned to stare at Deimos, watching as he bathed himself. He did not realise that he was plastering a rather obvious worried look on his face as he was doing this, but was made known to him when Deimos looked at him and asked. ‘Lio, you alright?’ At the sound of that question, Lio snapped out of it and looked away, offering no response. Deimos began getting worried when he noticed the odd behaviour from Lio, but decided not to probe as he continued washing himself up. As Lio stared worryingly away from Deimos, he suddenly felt a chill run down his back as he jerked his body to the right and away from Deimos. ‘Woah woah, relax, it’s just me...’ Deimos was now kneeling beside Lio and facing him, pouring water and washing his back for him. Lio flashed him a smile and turned his back to Deimos, offering it to him willingly. As Deimos continued washing his back for him diligently, Lio suddenly turned around and held onto both of Deimos’ hands, interlocking their fingers as he asked.

‘Babe, you trust me right?’ Deimos looked straight into Lio’s light grey eyes as he frowned in annoyance.

‘Lio, what’s up with you?’ Lio sighed as he raised his voice a little.

‘Just answer the question, please. I need to hear you say it.’ Deimos nodded and said.

‘Yes, of course I trust you. Now can you tell me what’s going on?’ Lio shook his head as he let go of Deimos’ hands, turning his body away.

‘I can’t...’ Lio’s chest began getting heavier as he looked back up at the shining moon. Deimos would be lying if he said he did not feel uneasy, but a part of him was also urging him to let Lio be, so Deimos just jumped on top of Lio’s lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck. This caused Lio to break his trance from the moon and give his undivided attention to his gorgeous partner that was now sitting on his lap. Deimos leaned in and said to Lio.

‘Fine then. Keep your secrets...’ Lio was staring intently at Deimos as he noticed a cheeky smile appearing on his face. Lio looked down to see Deimos’ member getting progressively stiffer and longer as it slid against his moist toned abs. Lio’s own shaft soon followed suit as a natural response, causing the two rods to rub against each other, sending waves of pleasure to both parties. Deimos whispered to Lio saying, ‘You know...’ Deimos then leaned forward a little more, closing the distance between them. ‘It’s the middle of the night, and everyone’s asleep...’ Lio’s face was unrelenting, as his look of discomfort was still plastered obviously across his face. Deimos knew that something was bothering Lio, but it didn’t matter that Lio wasn’t ready to speak about it. All Deimos wanted was to make Lio as comfortable as he could. The trouble was while Lio was eager and more than happy with the way Deimos was behaving, the thing that was gnawing away at his conscience was providing heavy resistance, causing him to react in such an unnatural manner.

‘Deimos, I can’t, I...’ Lio fell short on completing his sentence as Deimos’ eyes melted his heart. He could never resist the sweet look on Deimos’ face, constantly feeling transfixed by his gaze. Then out of nowhere, Lio stood up, lifting Deimos’ full body weight as he muttered under his breath, ‘Fuck it.’

As soon as Lio stood up, he turned around and placed Deimos back down in the water where his buttocks rested nicely on the ground. Lio knelt down in the water to lower his head to wrap his lips around Deimos’ penis. He performed a singular blow before freeing the shaft from his lips. Lio then returned as he held onto the base of Deimos’ member with his left hand, which was submerged in the water, as he ran his lips along the now vertical shaft. Deimos was in euphoria as he leaned back and lifted his hips so that his 6-inch penis would break the surface of the water to allow Lio to service it more easily. Lio then hooked his right arm under Deimos’ left thigh to relief some of Deimos’ body weight, shortly after his left arm followed suit, allowing Deimos’ pelvis to level. Lio then took the penis back into his mouth as Deimos cooperatively began thrusting up and down, sliding his rod against the lining of Lio’s mouth. Deimos’ moaning was turning Lio on as he lifted Deimos’ legs over his shoulders to free his hands. He began entertaining his own shaft, stroking it quickly to relief some of the pent up sexual energy that accumulated over the past few days. The initial wave caused Lio to let out a muffled moan from his preoccupied mouth. Deimos could feel the warm air lick his penis as he opened his eyes and tapped Lio to put him down. Lio obediently did so as Deimos sat back down properly in the water. He reached his hands downward to hold onto Lio’s waist, pulling him up and prompting him to stand up. As he did so, Deimos was greeted by a well-moist 7-inch penis, swollen red at the head and eager for attention. Deimos wasted no time as he gave the member a few strokes with his right hand, sliding the left side of the penis against his smooth right palm. He then positioned his lips on the right side of the Lio’s shaft, moving back and forth, in sync with his right palm. With each pulling back of the foreskin, Lio let out a soft moan as he tilted his head back, revealing the popping veins on his neck. Lio’s hands gently transitioned to hold onto the source of his pleasure; placing his right hand on Deimos’ head and his left on Deimos’ right hand. As Deimos began slowing down, Lio began thrusting his hips, signalling for Deimos to stay in position and tighten his grip. Lio was now sliding his penis along a ring formed by Deimos’ right palm and his lips, providing just the right amount of friction.

‘Ahh... Deimos...’ Lio’s unconscious moaning of his name caused Deimos to smile to himself, so Deimos decided to slow things down a little. He broke off from his oral service and got Lio to lay by the grass patch that lined the edge of the water body. With Lio lying on his back, Deimos took his time to give some attention to Lio’s muscular thighs. He began licking and kissing the fair skin that wrapped the well-defined muscles up to where his obliques were. The defined V-shaped muscle directing its visitors quite naturally to his still erected penis, which Deimos reluctantly ignored for the moment. Deimos used his left hand to prop the penis up and out of the way as he kissed the base of the rod. Deimos licked around Lio’s groin, allowing his still slightly salty musk to fill his mouth before moving upward along his abs. Kissing and entertaining each and every pack was a pleasure Deimos could not refuse, taking his time to feel every defined contour that reached his tongue and glazing them with a layer of his own saliva. Deimos purposefully pressed his body down closely as he did this to allow Lio’s eager member to slide against the firm muscles of his torso to ensure it did not lose any of its stiffness. Lio’s moaning was now getting louder as his hands reached down, sliding them along Deimos’ shoulder and back. The sensation of Deimos’ muscular back was filling his mind with lust, jerking his pelvis and brushing his member against Deimos’ abs that were now directly above it.

Deimos reached Lio’s left nipple and wasted no time entertaining it with his tongue. With the help of the cool evening temperature and the chilly waters, they were already nicely erected and hard to the touch. Even the little bumps around it helped by adding a little texture as Deimos ran his tongue playfully around it. The contrasting dark pinkish complexion of Lio’s nipple against his fair skin made it easy for Deimos to arouse Lio as he took his time with it. Deimos lifted his left arm and began tickling Lio’s right nipple with his index finger, following a similar circular motion as his tongue. Lio was thoroughly in cloud nine now with all the right spots being stimulated; evident from his increasingly louder moans and quicker thrusting of his hips. Deimos was beginning to feel a layer of lubricant smearing all over his abs as he took a break from Lio’s nipple to look down at his now shining packs, glistening with Lio’s pre-cum. Deimos pushed his body up with his hands now on the ground by Lio’s side as he looked at Lio with an unamused look. Lio chuckled in embarrassment as he apologised.

‘Sorry...’ Deimos smiled as he leaned back in, now closing in on Lio’s mouth. Before he reached it, he replied.

‘Don’t be...’ Deimos then bit Lio’s lips gently to initiate a kiss. Lio wrapped his arms around Deimos’ torso and continued running his hands along the muscular contours of his back. The pure sensation he felt was translated with every decisive exhalation of warm air against Deimos’ cheek. With Deimos’ member now stiff and pressed against Lio’s, they soon found themselves thrusting in unison, jerking both their penises against each other and sending waves of pleasure to the other party while sending a fair amount to themselves. Deimos was taking the kiss slow but Lio was surprisingly eager. He clamped his lips against Deimos’ in quick succession, and did not open Deimos’ lips gently this time. Instead, he forced his way in by pushing his tongue between Deimos’ lips, getting quickly to work as he laced the lining of Deimos’ mouth with his own saliva. Lio’s kiss was getting a little messy as Deimos found it difficult to keep up with him. Then without warning, Lio rolled Deimos over to the side, causing Lio to be on top now. This sudden movement led to Deimos opening his eyes as the kiss continued. Lio ended the kiss abruptly as he started licking Deimos’ neck, pressing his tongue and clamping his lips against the veiny neck. Deimos loved it when Lio did this, it was one of his fetishes and counted on Lio to figure that out on his own through the frequent moaning that exited Deimos’ mouth every time Lio engaged in this kind of foreplay. Lio was now resting his entire body weight on Deimos, causing his breathing to get heavier as Lio picked up the pace. Lio was beginning to bite Deimos’ flesh, leaving red marks. Nothing too painful, but just the right amount of force that would produce an erotic verbal response from Deimos.

Upon hearing the loud moaning, Lio reached down with his right hand to grab both of their shafts in his palm, as he began stroking them in unison. This was to give them much needed support as they were now dripping with pre-cum, causing them slide out of alignment with each thrust the two of them performed. Lio looked down at their penises nicely housed in his grasp, before turning his attention to Deimos’ chest now. He began kissing the large bulge, feeling the firmness of the chest against his lips as he pressed hard on it. He soon located Deimos’ right nipple, which was also conveniently stiff due to the cold temperature, as he too began servicing it. Lio, however, was not as gentle as Deimos. While he began licking it, he transitioned quickly to nibbling it. This generated a response in Deimos’ body where he would recoil his body inward, in a futile attempt to shield it from its intruder. So Deimos placed his right hand on Lio’s head, digging his fingers into Lio’s scalp and giving it a gentle squeeze.

‘Lio, not too hard...’ Deimos pleaded softly as Lio backed off from the nipple, seeing it turning a little red. He looked up at Deimos and replied.

‘Shit, sorry! Does it hurt?’ Deimos smiled as he transitioned his right hand down to Lio’s left cheek saying.

‘No it doesn’t, just a little uncomfortable. Try not to bite it off...’ Lio chuckled as he heard that, giving Deimos’ right palm a gentle kiss before returning to his nipple. This time, he stuck out his tongue to gently glaze the surroundings and soothing Deimos’ nipple. Lio now transitioned further to the left, burrowing his face into Deimos’ right armpit. Deimos lifted his right arm to make room for Lio’s face as he began licking his side and making his way upward. Lio went straight past Deimos’ pits and to his firm triceps, once again giving them a nasty bite. Deimos gladly took this bite, as he felt a surge of energy shooting up to his brain. He flexed and pushed it against Lio’s lips, as if begging for more. In so doing, Lio playfully circled round the arm and rested on Deimos’ bicep now; which was bulging and wrapped in veins. Lio surprisingly sat up, and pushed himself closer to the bicep. Deimos was initially confused with what he was doing but Lio took Deimos’ right arm and bent it at the elbow over his right chest. This position caused Deimos’ bicep to enlarge even more, and create a small hole that was encircled by his bent right arm and his right chest. Lio positioned the opening such that Deimos’ nipple was directly at the entrance of this cavity. As Deimos stared at the scene, he quickly caught up as a smile appeared on his face. Lio then inserted his penis into the hole, with Deimos’ nipple and bicep squeezing his head rather firmly. Lio tilted his head back as he began thrusting faster. His well-lubricated shaft was sliding back and forth the cavity with ease, which made it increasingly difficult for him to reach his climax, so he pulled Deimos’ right arm to tighten the hole. With each thrust and each pulling back of the foreskin, Lio’s moans were getting louder and louder. Deimos could tell Lio was close to his orgasm, so he used his left hand to run them upward along his now straightened body. He quickly rested them on Lio’s right nipple, as he teased them with his index finger. Once again, Lio let out a moan when Deimos did this. Lio thrusting was becoming faster as he opened his eyes and turned his attention around to Deimos’ still stiff member, reaching out for it with his left hand and stroking it vigorously. Deimos’ focus on Lio was now broken as the sudden influx of sexual energy broke him out of his daze. Deimos too began thrusting against Lio’s palm, as Lio tried to follow the rhythm of Deimos’ thrusting while maintaining his own intensity.

The two of them were sweating and panting loudly as they both crept toward their climax. Lio suddenly released his grip on Deimos’ penis as he turned back to face him. He placed his left hand on Deimos’ tricep and his right hand on Deimos’ forearm, arching his back ever so slightly as he continued his vigorous thrust. Then without warning, Lio jerked his pelvis forward one last time violently, digging his fingernails into Deimos’ arm as a white fluid leaked from his penis and squirting all over Deimos’ neck. Deimos closed his eyes just to ensure none of the semen got in, but was conscious of where each and every warm drop of Lio’s seed landed on his body. After Lio’s heavy panting subsided, Deimos opened his eyes and released Lio’s penis from its prison, leaning in to give it a few final blows. Deimos gently licked Lio’s shaft clean from the last few residual drops of semen before looking down at his chest to see a considerable amount of cum all over him. Lio looked at Deimos panting, quickly regaining his composure as he leaned in saying.

‘Deimos...’ Deimos smiled at him and replied.

‘Yeah?’ Lio then sighed heavily as he slid downward, taking Deimos’ still erected penis into his mouth. He took his time, smearing it with a generous amount of saliva. The salty taste of Deimos’ pre-cum was beginning to linger in his mouth, which added to his eagerness to pleasure it. He took notice of the swollen red tip, causing him to squeeze his lips tightly against it whenever he had the chance. Lio would periodically lick the underside of the penile head, knowing that that was where the most sensitive part of the penis was; with each lick, Deimos’ body would twitch uncontrollably. Lio moved on to use his left hand to stroke Deimos’ penis quickly while sticking his right index and middle finger into his now vacant mouth, coating them with saliva. He then reached back and inserted them into his anus.

‘AHH!’ Lio grunted in pain involuntarily, causing Deimos to sit up and ask.

‘What happened? You alrigh-... AHH!’ Before Deimos could finish, Lio pulled his left hand down Deimos’ shaft violently, causing a mixture of pain and pleasure to reach Deimos’ head. This was enough to bring Deimos back down to his lying down position, distracting him away from Lio’s original wail of discomfort. Lio then progressively massaged his anal lining, getting it ready for penetration while he busied himself with the now exposed and very sensitive penis in front of him. Once he felt his rear loosen sufficiently, he crept forward quickly, and sat on Deimos’ rod. The sudden feeling of a tight insertion was enough to gain Deimos’ attention as he saw Lio now on top of him.

‘Lio! What are you doin-...’ Lio then leaned forward quickly and cupped Deimos’ mouth as he pleaded.

‘Please...’ With Lio’s face so close, Deimos saw Lio’s eyes watering a little. Deimos was guessing it was the discomfort first felt from the initial penetration; he knew that feeling all too well. As Lio began riding Deimos’ shaft, Deimos would have been lying if he said he wasn’t in heaven. The view of Lio pleasuring his penis coupled with the tight rectum providing a warm and comfortable environment for his joy stick was bringing Deimos over the moon. This was getting a little too much for Deimos to handle, so he flipped Lio to the side, causing Lio to now lie down on the grass while Deimos knelt down over him. Deimos slowly picked up the thrusting pace, very conscious of every single expression on Lio’s face. Deimos was also purposefully jerking his penis a little upward with each thrust, ensuring that Lio felt as much pleasure as he could by brushing his penis against Lio’s prostate. Lio’s moaning began increasing in volume and frequency despite his release just occurring minutes ago. His member was stiff again as Deimos continued thrusting. With each thrust, Lio’s rectum began to loosen considerably and Deimos was beginning to lose momentum, but he didn’t care, he did not want to hurt Lio. But Lio caught up quickly, so instead of keeping his legs spread, he swung his left leg over Deimos’ right shoulder. Deimos quickly reacted by placing his right hand against Lio’s left thigh to support the weight, feeling the anal cavity close in on his penis. As he continued his thrusting, the erotic sensation returned, causing the moaning of the two men to return shortly after as well. Lio’s right hand began stroking his own penis vigorously as he opened his eyes and looked at Deimos, panting as he continued. Deimos could not resist Lio’s eager look and instinctively began thrusting faster. Lio began gripping his toes as his body started to tense up, preparing for his second ejaculation. As soon as Deimos saw this, he forcefully hit Lio’s hand away from his shaft as he used his left hand to take over the masturbating process. Lio jerked his pelvis upward to facilitate the more intense stroking of his penis and wailed in delight as a second stream of white semen exploded from the tip of his member. With his back arched, Lio’s penis broke his body’s silhouette as the cool air kissed the sensitive spewing penile head. Deimos aimed the shaft toward his own body as much as he could, vandalising his tan body with a second layer of his lover’s seed. Witnessing Lio ejaculating twice was a little too much for Deimos as he failed to contain his own orgasm. His uncooperative shaft began leaking its first squirt inside Lio’s anus, but Deimos pulled out in time to unload the rest of his semen onto Lio’s torso. As soon as Lio felt the warm fluid touch his body, he sat up and brought his mouth straight to Deimos’ penis. He used his lips to push Deimos’ hands away from the final ticks of his orgasm, allowing his own lips the pleasure of finishing him off. Deimos gladly allowed him as he placed his hands behind Lio’s head, controlling the speed of his blow on his now worn out penis.

As Deimos remained panting, he remained in the kneeling position, with his penis sticking out horizontally and nakedly in Lio’s mouth. Lio was still diligently blowing Deimos’ shaft, which Deimos gladly allowed for. Lio slowed down, being sure of coating the rod with his own saliva before adopting the kneeling position to face Deimos. He placed his hands on Deimos’ cheeks as he said.

‘I can’t get enough of you...’ Deimos smiled, placing his hands on Lio’s waist as he replied.

‘Neither can I...’ The two leaned in for a kiss that was significantly slower and more controlled than the previous one. Lio’s right hand was sneakily still on Deimos’ moist shaft, stroking it back and forth slowly. Deimos’ eyes opened in the middle of the kiss as he pulled away asking, ‘You want more?’ Lio stared at him eagerly and nodded slowly. Deimos then smiled at him, placing his hand on his cheek as he replied, ‘Ok, go ahead.’ Lio’s eyes glistened with joy as he increased the speed of his stroking.

The initial increase in speed did cause Deimos a fair deal of discomfort, but once he got past that, only pleasure followed. As quickly as they recovered from their heavy breathing, Deimos found himself panting once again. Lio stroked Deimos’ rod decisively and quickly with his right hand while his lips remained on Deimos’ lips. The increase in Deimos’ breathing and heartbeat was Lio’s way of checking for Deimos’ orgasm. With the well-lubricated shaft in his hand, it allowed for faster more vigorous strokes as his thumb playful pressed against the head every once in awhile, causing Deimos’ body to jerk. Lio ended the kiss and eagerly went for Deimos’ left nipple this time. He pressed his tongue against the nipple hardly before stroking it gently, introducing both rough and gentle motions to increase the sensation and sensitivity of it. The moment Deimos’ mouth was free of Lio’s lips, the audible moaning returned, signalling Lio to speed up his strokes. Deimos too found himself thrusting his penis in Lio’s palm, sliding seamlessly along the now moist palm. Deimos stood up to bring his member to Lio’s face, eager for him to service it orally, which Lio gladly obliged. However before Lio did so, he pushed Deimos backward until his back leaned against the timber fenced that covered the bathing area. With Deimos’ back now pressed against the wall, Lio gladly suckled on his shaft, paying more attention on the tip like he did before. He made sure he took Deimos’ whole rod in, causing him to gag a few times but maximising the pleasure felt by his partner. Deimos placed both his hands behind Lio’s head, pushing and pulling his head according to his own comfortable rhythm. Lio stopped this by holding onto Deimos’ wrists and pressing them against the timber wall. This forced Deimos to pleasure himself only by thrusting into Lio’s mouth, which he did so quite quickly.

‘Ahh... Lio... I’m...’ At those words, Lio tightened his lips and focused his back and forth motion on the head of Deimos’ penis. At the sound of Deimos’ final moan, Lio removed Deimos’ member from his mouth and aimed it at his chest, pressing the tip against his nipple, coating it with a layer of thick white semen. Deimos was thoroughly spent as he panted amidst his orgasm. His shaft twitching and leaking squirts of seed as his lungs begged for air. Lio waited for the larger squirts to subside before taking the gentler ones directly into his mouth, swallowing them whole. He once again licked Deimos’ member clean from the final droplets of his essence before leaving it alone to rest. He collected the semen that was smeared all over his chest with his hand, and depositing it into his mouth. Lio stood up and leaned his forehead against Deimos’ as he whispered.

‘Thank you...’ Deimos was still panting in exhaustion, but mustered enough strength to flash Lio a smile. Lio wrapped his arms around Deimos, embracing him. The two of them leaning against each other, exchanging body heat. After Deimos caught his breath, he said to Lio.

‘Hey, let’s get out of here...’ Lio replied, still holding onto Deimos.

‘Can we stay for just a while longer...?’ Deimos then replied.

‘Yeah. Yeah of course we can.’ Lio’s face, tucked out of sight from Deimos, where his eyes were beginning to turn red, and tears starting to trickle down his cheeks.


	46. Undying Fidelity

Deimos woke up to the blinding light of the morning sun against his face. The sun peeked from the horizon with the first rays of daylight illuminating Astera. The light rays caused Deimos to squint his eyes uncomfortably, raising his right hand to cover it sloppily.

‘Urgh…’ Deimos grunted as he used his left hand to push himself to sit upright. As he regained consciousness, he felt his lower body cool and turn numb as he looked down at his lower body submerged in bath water. Deimos’ mind was a blur and he could hardly remember the details of what happened after the sex with Lio the night before. All he remembered afterward was Lio in his arms and the two of them holding out an unusually long embrace. After that, it was just a blank. Deimos assumed that he had fallen asleep there and then out of exhaustion, and immediately started looking around for Lio.

Deimos soon realised that he was alone in the pool, with his clothes folded and placed neatly by the ground behind him. While Deimos still tried to grasp what was going on, he started wetting his face, hoping to quicken his waking up process. After he did this, with his right eye still shut to shield himself from the blinding sunlight, he stood up and turned around to face away from the sun. This caused him to face the entrance, to which he saw two hunters standing there staring at him; one of them was a female while the other was a male. Deimos quickly used his right hand to cover his genitals while his left hand reached out to grab his clothes. The female hunter giggled as she said.

‘What a treat!’ The male hunter turning to her, irritated as he elbowed her.

‘What?! My body’s not that far off from tha-…’ The girl turned to him and chuckled as she said.

‘Ohh please, that guy’s body is perfect. Yours is just ok…’ The female hunter took her leave to the female pool shortly after saying that. The male hunter still looking at her annoyed. As Deimos hurried out of the pool and putting his clothes on, he walked pass the male hunter thoroughly embarrassed. The male hunter glared at him, unappreciative of his unintentional showing off as he walked pass. While Deimos was embarrassed, he tried his best to maintain his composure as he held his head high, walking past the stranger.

‘Where are they? Why are the two of them always missing?!’ Rhen shouted as she got up and turned toward Deimos’ and Lio’s bedside.

‘Maybe they just went for a walk. They should be back soo-…’ Just as Eros said this, the bunk door swung open and Deimos entered the dormitory. He then asked.

‘Where’s Lio?’ Rhen rolled her eyes and swung her hands in the air in disbelief.

‘You lost your boyfriend while out on a walk?! How useless could you be?!’ Deimos ignored her and went over to Eros and Rhodes, asking them again.

‘Lio wasn’t here?’ Eros and Rhodes shook their heads, as Rhodes spoke up, saying.

‘We thought he was with you, since we saw that the both of you were gone when we woke up this morning.’ Deimos started scratching his head, unsure of where Lio might be. He instinctively muttered to himself.

‘I don’t understand…’ Eros then tilted his head and enquired.

‘Don’t understand? What happened?’ This question caused Deimos to break from his trance and turn to look at Eros, responding.

‘I was with him by the pool last night. I don’t really remember what happened but when I woke up this morning I was alone, so I assumed that he returned here, but he…’ Deimos fell short of completing his sentence as the series of events that were occurring now were making close to no sense at all, and it was beginning to worry him quite a fair deal. Rhodes rested her chin on her fingers as she looked away, deep in thought as well. Eros was also thoroughly confused once he heard Deimos’ story, the three of them standing in a small circle and in silence. Rhen then walked over and asked them.

‘What in the hell are you baboons doing?!’ Rhodes turned to Rhen and explained.

‘We’re trying to think where Lio could’ve…’ Rhen then interrupted.

‘The only thing we should be thinking about now is FOOD! Let’s go!’ Before Rhodes could interject to reprimand Rhen, Deimos beat her to it, saying.

‘Well Lio could be in the canteen. I guess it’s worth a shot…’ The squad turned to look at Deimos, with Rhen wearing a more optimistic smile than the rest as they nodded in unison. The squad left the bunk leaving Phobos behind, wanting him to maintain a low profile under the fierce authority that has now overtaken Astera.

‘Good morning, sunshine…’ Lio said bubbly as he entered Stero’s tent.

‘Get out, Lio.’ Lio walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he whispered to her.

‘Still mad at me?’ Stero turned around violently and placed the familiar silvery blade against his Adam’s apple as she replied.

‘Don’t. Touch. Me.’ Lio smiled at her without releasing his grip, but instead pulling her in closer.

‘If you wish to kill me, go ahead. I don’t think I can live with myself anyway…’ A frown appeared on Stero’s face as she heard this, but a smile appearing shortly after. She then replied as she chuckled.

‘Well, seeing as it would pain you more to keep you alive…’ Stero lowered her blade and pushed Lio away, releasing herself from his embrace as she continued, ‘that’s beginning to seem like an awfully attractive choice.’ Lio flashed Stero a sweet smile as he heard her say that, staring contently into her eyes. Stero found herself encapsulated by Lio’s confidence, a rather familiar and uncomfortable feeling at that point of time as she broke their gaze, looking away, the smile disappearing from her face in the process. Lio closed the gap and placed his left index and middle finger against her right cheek, guiding her eyes back onto his own as he said.

‘Is there really no way that you can forgive me?’ Stero offered no verbal response as she stared blankly at Lio. He gave her time to respond but, in the meantime, Lio began caressing her in all the places that he knew she enjoyed. He gripped her waist firmly with his hands, pulling it in such that their groins were pressed against each other. The heat radiating from their pelvis reaching the senses of the other rather quickly as Stero’s heartbeat began to rise. Lio then transitioned his hands slowly up her back, specifically his right hand, while his left hand remained on her waist. His right hand felt the familiar contours of her back, pushing her against his body periodically. The increase in physical contact was causing Stero’s mind to find it increasingly difficult to escape the frenzy. As Lio’s hand reached her shoulder blades, his strong inward push caused her firm breasts to press against his own bulging chest. The pressure felt by the individuals was sending a strong message to both of them, but it was more prominent for Stero since she had been deprived of such indulgences for quite some time. Lio’s right hand was now behind Stero’s head, as he pushed it closer to his. Lio’s lips was about to touch Stero’s, causing her to instinctively shut her eyes, thoroughly immersed in the moment. Just before they touched, however, a stern voice emerged from the entrance of the tent.

‘Stero, gather your men immediatel-… Ohh…’ Stero immediately broke from her trance and stared menacingly at Lio. She pushed him away violently as she returned to reality, causing him to take a few steps back. Arges stood by the entrance with his arms folded, wearing his familiar smile as he commented, ‘My, my, after all this time, you still have feelings for each other…’ Stero screamed at her brother as she defended.

‘Shut up Arges! This is none of your business! What do you want?’ Arges looked at the ground laughing as he walked toward her and said.

‘Gather your best hunters. I need them for something important.’ Stero turned away as she gathered her things.

‘How many? And for what?’ Arges then replied.

‘That’s not something you need to know. Just get me the bloody hunters.’ Stero turned to him, with rage now engulfing her pupils.

‘No information, no hunters. I’m not like Bron, where you can manipulate me to do your biddin-…’ Arges raised his brow as he took a seat at the table in the middle of the tent, interrupting her arrogantly.

‘Is that so? And what if something were to happen to let’s say… Lio, over here?’ The sound of his name initially causing Stero to enlarge her eyes, but she regained her composure almost immediately after as she replied.

‘Do whatever you want with him. I couldn’t care less.’ At those words, Arges turned to look at Lio who was beginning to feel a little nervous. He began backing off slowly when Arges got up from his seat quickly, tackling Lio from the back. This caused Lio to fall to his knees, Arges using his left foot to step on it to prevent him from retaliating. Arges then used his right hand to hold onto Lio’s right arm at the wrist, twisting it backwards and straightening it. Arges’ left hand was placed at the back of Lio’s neck to lock him in position.

‘Argh!’ Lio groaned in pain as his body entered the extremely uncomfortable position. Stero turned to face Lio the moment she heard the groan but did not exhibit any change in facial expression. Arges then looked up at Stero smiling as he taunted.

‘Just one push, and I can dislocate his arm from his miserable body…’ Lio looked up at Stero, his eyes beginning to tear at the discomfort. Her eyes, returning a glimpse of sympathy, but disappearing as quickly as they came as she replied.

‘Go ahead.’ Arges jerked his head backwards slightly in shock of his sister’s indifference, but obliged soon after as he twisted Lio’s right arm gradually.

‘ARGHH!!!’ Lio screamed in pain as he felt his muscles tear and his bones loosening from its joints. The loud scream caused Stero’s eyes to reflect the same sympathetic look as before as she endured the tormenting sight in front of her. As Arges took his time with dislocating Lio’s arm from his shoulder, he tried his best to relish in the moment, savouring every scream that escaped Lio’s lips. Arges’ pleasure reflected in the twisted smile that began forming on his face as he witnessed not only the discomfort in Lio’s voice but on Stero’s face as well. He felt Lio’s bone beginning to loosen from its joint when he heard Stero suddenly shout at him.

‘ALRIGHT FINE! Let him go! I’ll gather your fucking hunters!’ At this, Arges took the opportunity to twist Lio’s arm just a tad more to squeeze out a final wail from his victim before releasing him from his prison. Lio fell forward, using his arms to support his body weight. Stero simply looked at him who was now kneeling at her feet, before she looked up at Arges with a menacing stare.

‘Of course, you will.’ Arges chuckled as he said, exiting the tent. Stero looked down at Lio, still groaning slightly in pain, his left hand now placed on his right shoulder, squeezing at it and attempting to relieve it of the pain. Lio stood up and looked at Stero as he said.

‘Thanks... for that.’ Stero raised her brow and replied coldly.

‘For what? You’re a fucking troublemaker you know that?’ Lio laughed as he placed his left hand behind his head.

‘Yeah, sorry about that.’ Stero remained silent after hearing that apology. It must have been ages since she’s heard that word. As Stero stared at Lio, a less than friendly smile began appearing across her face as she asked.

‘Perhaps you may yet be of use to me…’ Lio perked his brow at that statement, eager for Stero to elaborate. She happily obliged as she continued, ‘you have yourself a team yes? The same one you just returned with?’ Lio gulped as he heard that. He was hoping to not get them involved and so he tried to convince her otherwise.

‘They are tired. I doubt they will be optimal in the field if we deploy them no-…’ Stero interrupted as she said.

‘They will go.’ Lio then urged her against it as he continued saying.

‘Stero, that wouldn’t be a good choice. Some of them are… Injured. Yeah, so I don’t think they ca-…’ Stero turned to him and raised her voice.

‘Lio, you have never been a good liar. And I know you only hunt with the best, so stop your squirming and gather your hunters to report to me immediately.’ Lio sighed softly as he realised how poorly he handled the situation. His brief silence sent Stero a message of his unwillingness, causing her to continue saying, ‘Is there a problem?’ As soon as Lio heard this, he quickly responded.

‘No, there’s no problem. I’ll gather them for you…’ Lio said as he walked out of the tent immediately.

The squad arrived at the canteen and looked around for Lio. It was not difficult to figure that he wasn’t there since the place was as barren as ever; with only two hunters there, and one of them not even seated down having a meal, but cleaning up the area. Rhen said in a frustrated tone.

‘What on earth happened here? Where’s the food gone? Wha-...’ Rhen then fell to her knees defeated as she dramatised the scene. Despite her overreaction, the sight before the squad was undoubtedly a rather depressing one.

‘Lio doesn’t seem to be here...’ Eros mentioning the obvious. Deimos stood dumbfounded, with a frown appearing across his face as his mind began inviting disturbing and irrational thoughts. But just as they were about to continue their search, Rhodes cried out as she pointed behind them, toward the direction of their tents.

‘He’s there! Lio!’ Rhodes began waving at Lio as she informed the team. The other three turned heads with Eros and Deimos smiling at the welcoming sight. Rhen rolled her eyes, clearly disappointed by the reward of turning her attention away from food. The team went up to Lio, with Eros the first to ask him.

‘Hey Lio! Where did you go?’ Lio did not offer any response; in fact he did not look at Eros at all. It was as if he didn’t hear Eros’ question entirely. Lio waited for Deimos and Rhen to come within earshot before he said coldly.

‘Stero wants to see us. Now.’ Then he turned around and started walking back toward the tents. The team turned to look at each other with frowns across their faces. Rhen shouted at him and asked.

‘What does that crazy bitch wanna meet us for? Lio! Oi!’ Lio offered no response as he continued walking away from the group. Deimos then ran up to Lio and held on to his right arm gently but firmly, pulling him back so that he faced him. This caused Lio to stop walking, but his body did not turn. Deimos then asked.

‘Hey, where have you been? I’ve been looking for yo-...’ Lio then muttered softly, without looking at Deimos.

‘Please let go of me.’ Deimos was taken aback by Lio’s cold response, but obeyed as he let go. Lio turned back toward the direction he was originally heading and continued walking, leaving Deimos with the view of his bareback. Lost and confused, Deimos stood paralysed as he continued staring at Lio walking further and further away from the squad. Rhen came up and slapped Deimos on the back as she jested.

‘Looks like somebody’s on his period...’ Rhen’s words flew past Deimos’ head as he offered no response. Deimos was more confused than heartbroken, being a logical person; he often found solace in reasoning rather than words of affirmation, and right now, nothing was making sense. This caused him to plunge into a sea of terrifying unknowns which was a tormenting place for Deimos. Eros and Rhodes now emerged on either side of Deimos, as they both looked at him, worried looks appearing on their faces as they saw his dumbfounded expression still fresh on his face. They allowed him a few more moments to himself before prompting him to follow Lio to meet Stero.

Lio entered Stero’s tent, seeing her all geared up and seated at the desk. Stero looked up and saw the four guests enter her tent. She then screamed at them.

‘Stand in a straight line facing me! NOW!’ Rhodes jerked at the sudden loud voice, clearly not used to being shouted at. Eros too was shaking a little, to which Deimos grabbed him firmly on his left shoulder with his right hand, calming him down instantly. Rhen was unamused and Deimos was unaffected by Stero’s intimidation as the four of them stood their ground. Stero chuckled to herself as she looked over to Lio, as she started playing with three silvery blades on the table. Lio turned to them and said calmly.

‘Do as she says.’ Rhen turned to face him and frowned as she raised her voice.

‘Do as she sa-... Have you lost your mind, Lio?! Why in the hell would I-...’ Deimos then walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder, stopping her. He then signalled her to obey Stero’s command and listen to Lio. To which Rhen rolled her eyes and obliged, following Deimos as she stood beside him. The four of them now staring at Stero, obediently standing in a straight line. Stero then started saying.

‘Lio tells me that you guys are the best Astera has to offer. So tell me, what should I do if I find out that you guys are not what Lio promised, hmm?’ Stero allowed the bizarre question to sink into the minds of her hunters as she stood up picking one of the three blades on the desk. She walked around the desk and toward the team. She walked toward her left, arriving at Eros first, as she leaned in close to his face. While her face was near his right cheek, her blade was tucked cosily by the left side of his neck, causing a huge deal of discomfort to course through Eros’ body. Stero then whispered to Eros, who was beginning to shake. ‘So what will it be, pretty boy?’ Rhen then stepped forward and raised her voice at Stero.

‘What the fuck is wrong with you?! We don’t even know what this dirt bag promise-...’ Stero interrupted Rhen by smirking at Lio and saying.

‘Are you going to let this bitch talk to me like that?’ Lio turned to look at Rhen who was still maintaining her gaze at Stero, clearly trusting that Lio wouldn’t break. But Lio placed his right hand on Rhen’s left shoulder, turning her body to face him, as he raised his left hand, about to strike her on the face. As soon as Deimos saw this, he lunged at Lio, and stopped his left hand by the arm and shouted at him.

‘Lio! Seriousl-...?’ Lio then immediately freed his right hand from Rhen’s shoulder and folded it into a clenched fist, punching Deimos in the face. Deimos fell to the ground on his knees at the powerful blow against his left cheek. He started feeling a little light-headed as he tried to get up, his left hand reaching up to rub his now bruised face. Rhen’s and Rhodes’ jaw dropped at what just happened and turned to glare at Lio in disbelief. Lio did not flinch as his face remained expressionless as he continued staring at Deimos was still trying to regain his consciousness. Stero was the only one wearing a smile at this point, as she said.

‘Discipline, is how we get shit done around here. And with that rubbish of an attitude you guys have, no matter how good you claim to be, you will be useless to me.’ Stero then turned back to her victim, whispering. ‘Am I clear?’ Eros nodded weakly as he stared into Stero’s menacing eyes. Rhen and Rhodes were helping Deimos up, with both of them pulling him up from each side. Stero released Eros from her grip as she went to Rhodes, who was standing on Eros’ left. She then asked. ‘You don’t even look like a hunter. What is this?’ Stero asked as she turned to look at Lio.

‘She’s a handler. She doesn’t hunt.’ Stero chuckled to herself as she replied.

‘Handler? They still have those around? Nah... We have no need for handlers anymor-...’ As Stero was saying this, she swung her right hand forward, aiming it at Rhodes’ jugular. Deimos managed to stop it as he raised his right hand to stop Stero’s blade by grabbing her forearm. Stero turned her attention quickly toward Deimos as she issued a punch with her left hand toward his face. Deimos ducked downward, causing the blow to miss completely. Rhen took this opportunity to lunge at Stero at her abdomen, tackling her and causing her to fall to the ground. The sudden impact caused Stero to lose her grip on the blade, dropping it to the side. Rhen crawled forward quickly and wrapped her legs around Stero’s neck, squeezing it tightly and locking her in place.

‘I will fucking break your neck if you touch any of my teammates!’ Rhen threatened.

‘Let go of her, or I’ll break his...’ Rhen looked up and saw Lio’s arm wrapped round Deimos’ neck. Deimos using both his hands to try and release the pressure he was feeling around his jugular, finding each breath increasingly difficult to inhale. Rhen frowned at Lio and shouted at him.

‘WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOU LIO?!’ Lio didn’t offer any response as he tightened his grip, causing Deimos to begin choking and coughing violently. Deimos’ face was beginning to turn pale when Rhen sighed and released her grip on Stero. Stero coughed as she attempted to regain her balance. As soon as she did so, she turned around and punched Rhen in the face, Rhen being forced to take it. Rhodes turned to Lio who was still constricting Deimos round his neck.

‘Lio, please let Deimos go. Rhen alread-...’ Lio then elbowed Rhodes to nudge her away from him, causing her to fall to the ground. When Deimos saw this, he began struggling more violently and delivered an elbow strike from his right arm against Lio’s ribcage. The sudden jab caused an involuntarily exhalation from Lio’s nostrils as he tightened his grip round Deimos’ neck. Eros ran over to help Rhodes up as the two of them continued looking at Deimos and Rhen get physically assaulted.

‘Should I... Should I help?’ Eros asked nervously. Rhodes began tearing as she replied in fear.

‘I... I don’t know...’ Stero was now tugging at Rhen’s hair, dragging her along the floor as Rhen tried to reach upward for Stero’s hand to retaliate.

‘Let! Me! GO!’ Rhen screamed. Deimos was beginning to feel an oddly fierce rage brewing within him as he swung his right leg forward so that the sole of his feet was flat on the ground, kicking off with tremendous force. This caused Lio to lose his balance and fall backwards. In the brief period of time that Lio broke out of focus and loosened his grip, Deimos skilfully slid downward and out of his strong grip. Deimos turned around and charged at Stero, tackling her, pinning her on the table. This caused her to release her grip on Rhen’s hair. Deimos pinned Stero by holding onto her wrists against the table, preventing her from retaliating. As Rhen got up, she saw Lio getting up and about to head toward Deimos to free Stero, so she ran toward him and lowered her body, swinging her right leg to kick at Lio’s feet, tripping him. She knew very few could take Lio’s brute strength head-on, so she decided to focus her efforts at toppling him and weakening his structure. Lio found himself now face down on the ground when he immediately felt a sharp pain surge from his lower body as Rhen bent his right leg upward toward his lower back, threatening to break it.

‘AHHH!’ Lio wailed in pain as his lower body stayed flat on the ground to prevent more pain from being felt.

‘Let go of my sister.’ Deimos turned around to see Arges standing by the entrance with a blade by Eros’ neck, and Oros standing behind a terrified Rhodes, with both his hands placed on her shoulders. Arges turned to see Lio pinned to the ground causing a smirk to escape his lips as he glared at Rhen. Deimos reluctantly released his grip on Stero, and so did Rhen. Arges then frowned at Stero as he mocked, ‘My, my, you’re not painting a very exemplary figure are you, sister?’ Stero turned to glare at Arges as she raised her voice.

‘Get out of my tent Arges! I promised you hunters and here they are.’ Arges burst out laughing as he replied.

‘These are not hunters. These are an unruly bunch of disobedient maggots. Which I thought was something you were supposed to be good at fixing no?’ Stero was not pleased with the way her brother taunted her as she began trembling with rage. Oros then said.

‘So these are the best hunters in Astera? They don’t look like much...’ Stero turned to Deimos and placed her hand at his throat, pushing him against the wall as she squeezed tightly. Stero then muttered while facing Deimos.

‘No. They don’t.’ Deimos maintained his gaze at her too. As Lio stood up, he pushed Rhen back in line, with Eros and Rhodes before turning his gaze back at Deimos and Stero at the other side of the room. Arges then released his grip on Eros, pushing him away from him as he said.

‘I’ll leave you to it then. You have a lot of work to do.’ With this, Arges and Oros took their leave. Stero addressed the team while still glaring at Deimos right in the eye.

‘I will break you. All of you. And you will be who I want you to be...’ Rhen responded.

‘You’re welcome to try. We’re not afraid of you.’ Rhen then turned to stare at Lio. Stero laughed, while still looking at Deimos as she replied.

‘Everyone’s afraid of something...’

Rion wanted to speak to the team to bring them up to speed on what he discovered. But upon reaching their bunk, he opened the door only to find Phobos inside. Phobos leapt for joy and ran toward Rion, hugging at his shin.

‘Where’s everyone?’ Phobos then began squawking nonsense that Rion could not understand, causing him to immediately regret asking his question.

‘Herroyeohh merrrooyyhhh jurreeooyhhh sheerruohh!’ Rion frowned at Phobos before replying.

‘Uhh ok, let’s get some help...’ Phobos fist bumped the air as he followed Rion out of the dormitory. Rion went straight to the Lynian Researcher in Astera and got an immediate translation. Phobos told him the story up until the point of Lio’s disappearance, which was frankly not a lot of information. Rion then frowned as he looked away, deep in thought. Rion then decided to look for Dr Ena, seeing that he was the only one that was still by his station.

When Rion arrived at the research centre, Dr Ena was already hard at work with his usual scholars. It was one of the few places in Astera that still functioned and looked normal. Rion walked over to him and began checking in on him.

‘So I see you’re already right back in your comfort zone, doctor...’ Dr Ena turned around and flashed a smile at Rion as he replied.

‘Right you are, sir. Still a lot to be done...’ Rion returned the smile as he said.

‘It’s nice to see at least some places have not changes since the arrival of the three.’ This caused Dr Ena to stop his work momentarily to look at Rion’s look of disappointment, clearly blaming himself for whatever that has happened. Dr Ena decided to defuse the tension by asking.

‘So what do you need, sir?’ Rion broke from his trance at the question and replied quickly.

‘I was looking for the squad but found that they were not in their bunk. So I was wondering if they might be here with you.’ Dr Ena shook his head as he said.

‘No. In fact, nobody outside the team has visited the research centre ever since we returned. The only person that has done so was...’ Dr Ena stopped himself, clearly conscious of mentioning this person’s name. Rion stared at Dr Ena, prompting him to say the name.

‘Yes, doctor? Who is this person?’ Dr Ena then nervously said.

‘Oros, sir.’ Rion jerked his head backwards as he asked.

‘And what did he want?’ Dr Ena replied.

‘He mainly came back for more crystal samples. He also took some of the Zorah Magdaros samples that we had. He failed to mention what he wanted to do with them though.’ Rion chuckled as he looked away, muttering under his breath.

‘Of course he did.’

Stero locked the squad in a small room beside the tents that served as a makeshift prison cell. It was originally used as a storage room, but seeing that three tents were already cleared out and used for that purpose, the room was left vacated and unused. Stero was enraged with how rebellious they were, but was excited as well, as she knew individuals like these would break the hardest, which gave her great delight. In any case, she has dealt with more disobedient cases before, so this bunch did not sway her in any way.

Lio was still in the tent with Stero when she raised her voice at him saying.

‘Some hunters you introduce, they’re a bunch of losers with no respect. I should’ve never trusted you. Lesson learnt to do things on my own if I want it done properly...’ Lio chuckled to himself as he replied.

‘Yeah, this one’s on me. Sorry about that.’ Lio then turned to look at Stero’s wrist, bruised from Deimos’ firm grip. ‘Are you alright? That looks painful...’ Stero then lashed out at Lio saying.

‘Of course it hurts! But I’m not going to be a whiny little bitch and complain about it. Fretting over it won’t make it heal any faster...’ Lio smiled at her and nodded, as a sign that he agreed with her. Stero gathered the remainder of her things and headed out of the tent as she said. ‘Keep an eye on them while I’m gone. We’ll begin once I’m back.’ Lio nodded obediently as he flashed a pleasant smile at her, looking at Stero as she left.

As Stero disappeared from the tent, so did the smile on Lio’s face. His eyes locked on the entrance of the tent as a heavy sigh escaped his lips.


	47. Facets of Good and Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's wishing everyone a very pleasant and prosperous year ahead, filled with joy and good health.
> 
> To one and all, a very Happy Lunar New Year ~

‘Is everything ready?’ Phaestus asked the head engineer as the final pieces of equipment were put aside and getting ready to be shipped.

‘Almost.’ the engineer replied. Phaestus scuffed in annoyance as he turned around to see Ranus standing behind him. He flashed him a smile and said.

‘Brother. What a pleasant surprise. What do I owe this pleasur-…’ Ranus cut him off and said coldly.

‘Enough with the pleasantries, Phaestus. Here’s your report.’ Phaestus looked down at the scrawny looking scroll as he took it gently from Ranus’ hands, proceeding to bow slightly as a sign of respect. Ranus knew he was not sincere, so he changed the subject promptly. ‘Is everything ready?’ Phaestus turned back at the pile of materials and then at the few sheets of paper in a file that he was holding before replying.

‘Yes… Everything’s in place.’ Ranus then enquired.

‘And how do you plan on moving all of this over to Astera?’ Phaestus shrugged his shoulders arrogantly as he replied.

‘My children will handle it. They always do.’ Ranus found himself in a rather strange position; while Phaestus knew how to manipulate people emotionally and intellectually, his children were the ones that truly instilled fear into the hearts of others. They were violent and ruthless, in their own individual regard, of course. This made Ranus fear Phaestus even more, as he was extremely unpredictable; a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

At this juncture, Bron entered the room and greeted the two authoritative figures before him.

‘Good evening, sirs.’ Ranus and Phaestus turned to see Bron bowing slightly toward them. Phaestus flashed Ranus an arrogant smile as he walked over to Bron, whispering to him.

‘Listen to me. Give this report straight to your brother. Make sure only the three of you read it. Am I clear?’ Bron gave his father an indifferent and unenergetic nod as he took the scroll and put it into his bag. Ranus walked up to the two of them as Phaestus spoke, much louder this time. ‘So, any news from Astera?’ Bron shook his head and looked away as he said.

‘Nothing too interesting. A group of hunters that went out looking for Zorah just returned, that’s all. Are we done here? I wann-…’ Ranus probed further.

‘This group of hunters, why were they looking for Zorah?’ Bron turned to look at Ranus and said.

‘I don’t know. It’s just a small group of them, what’s the big deal?’ Ranus decided not to ask any further questions, seeing as Bron was getting a little agitated. Besides, he already got all the information that he needed, remembering that Rion was part of this group gave him a little comfort that he had returned. Phaestus then signalled Bron to return to Astera with haste and carry out the final stage of their plan. Bron gladly obliged as he left the company of the two gentlemen.

‘Is everyone alright?’ Deimos asked the remaining three members of their squad as they sat down in the small confined space of the woody prison room. Rhodes and Eros nodded at his question while Rhen remained silent, picking up small pebbles from the ground and throwing it at the walls. Deimos turned to look at her and probed. ‘Rhen, you ok?’ Rhen replied without looking at him.

‘Yeah I’m good hotshot.’ Deimos continued looking at her even after she gave him an answer. He was combing through her body to check for injuries despite her saying she was ok. Rhen felt his eyes on her for an unusually long while, causing her to turn toward him. ‘I said I’m fine bro.’ Those words interrupted Deimos’ inspection, causing it to halt immediately as he responded with a grunt.

‘Hmmph, ok...’ Deimos then looked down to the ground as he slid his right hand along his left arm, squeezing the tensed muscles along it. Eros crept toward him and sat by his side. He allowed a few moments of silence before opening his mouth to ask.

‘Deimos, are you ok?’ Deimos turned to look at Eros, flashing him a friendly smile as he said.

‘My arm’s a little sore, but I’m fine.’ Eros’ face still wore a worried look as he asked a second time.

‘That’s good. But are you... Ok?’ The change in Eros’ tone and deliberate pause in his question wiped the smile from Deimos’ face. He looked back to the ground and stared at the dull timber floor, reflecting the confusion and blank state that his heart was feeling at the moment.

‘I uhh... I don’t know...’ Eros reached out his right hand to hold onto Deimos’ left, giving it a firm squeeze. Deimos did not respond to that and simply allowed Eros the pleasure of the physical contact. Rhodes then spoke up saying.

‘Nothing makes sense. Why would Lio do this? He’s like a totally different person, someone we don’t even know...’ Eros turned to face Rhodes, his hand still holding onto Deimos’ as he replied.

‘Yeah, but I’m pretty sure something’s going on that only he knows right? I mean he can’t be bad right?’ Eros then turned to look at Deimos, hoping for him to say something. Deimos was still staring at the ground, offering no verbal or facial response. Rhen chuckled to herself as she chipped in saying.

‘Well I guess we were all wrong about him then. Turns out he was an asshole...’ Everyone looked up and stared at Rhen the moment she said that; including Deimos. Interestingly, however, Deimos did not wear a discontented look but rather a worried one, probably afraid of the possibility that Rhen’s words held more truth than he could accept. Sure, Deimos had only known Lio for about a month, but the time that they had spent together, the connection and the bond that they had formed, some people don’t even achieve that in years. The connection, therefore, was what they held onto all this time, which was what kept them together. A bond that until today, felt so unbreakable and unfailing. This undoubtedly gnawed away at Deimos, for while he would never question the sincerity and loyalty of his lover, he could not ignore what happened today. As he recounted the incident in his mind, the bruise on his left cheek began hurting, releasing his left hand from Eros’ grip and placing it over his cheek.

‘Does it hurt?’ Eros said the moment he realised Deimos let go of his hand.

‘A little bit.’ Rhodes then came over and asked.

‘May I?’ Deimos looked up and saw her eager to tend to him, so he lowered his hand to reveal the badly bruised face. Rhodes cringed at the wound after seeing how bad it was. She then said to Deimos. ‘It looks bad, we can use some of the cold pebbles here to help with the swelling but beyond that I-...’ Deimos shook his head and smiled at her saying.

‘It’s alright. I’m fine.’ After Rhodes heard Deimos’ response, her face maintained a worried look as she was not comfortable seeing Deimos like this. She knew he wasn’t fine, physically and emotionally, but she knew that she wasn’t in a position to help either. Rhodes’ attention now drifted toward Rhen, as she asked.

‘You’re being awfully quiet...’ Rhen chuckled to herself as she threw another pebble at the wall, replying as it hit the surface.

‘What’s there to say? Wonder boy has poor taste in men...’ Those words cut deep, but did not invoke any response from Deimos as he continued looking down. Eros defended Deimos, saying.

‘Do you really have to say that? Deimos is-...’ Deimos raised his left hand to stop Eros’ defence. Eros reluctantly stopped as he flashed Rhen a fierce grin. Rhen then continued.

‘Lio turned out to be an asshole, who knew. Doesn’t matter, it’s done and it’s in the past. Let’s move on.’ As much as Rhen’s words often stung, they were honest and true. It was precisely because they hurt, that was how one knew they were sincere. Deimos did not need comfort at this point of time, he needed a wakeup call, and Rhen was the only one who could give him that. Rhodes allowed the room a brief moment of silence before enquiring about a more urgent matter.

‘So what are we going to do? Do we have a plan?’ Eros then said.

‘Is there anything we can do? I mean we’re powerless against them, and they have Lio on their side now. We don’t stand a chance...’ Rhen then said.

‘So we do nothing?’ Deimos replied as he looked up at her.

‘No.’ Deimos sat up straight as he continued, ‘I won’t go down like this.’ Rhen plastered a smile across her face when she heard Deimos say this. Rhodes and Eros were a little concerned with what the two of them had in mind but figured now was the best time to stay united and so gave them their support. Rhen flashed a smile as she threw her final pebble at the wall, saying as she did it.

‘Looks like we’re back in the game...’

Lio was alone in Stero’s tent, walking around and inspecting the room. He went over to his shelf where most of his things used to be. They were messily flushed to one side without much care, with papers crumpled and creased. Books were stacked untidily and some covers were even damaged and scratched. Lio chuckled to himself at the sight, unsure if it was born out of dismay or amusement. He turned his attention to a pile of fabric by the shelf, a hill of cloths, towels and sheets messily stacked by the corner of the room. He squat down to dig through the pile, and recognised most of it. They included his bath towels, his own bed sheets and table cloths, even the towel he used during Deimos’ massage session awhile back was still there. He brought it to his nose to give a whiff, expecting to steal a scent of Deimos, but was instead greeted by an extremely unpleasant and pungent smell.

‘Urgh...!’ Lio jerked his head backward and frowned at the towel that he just now noticed was a little brown in colour and smelled nothing like the man he was thinking of. He placed the towels back into the pile, and started tidying up the place. As he did this, he began noticing an ominous scroll at the top of the shelf, with the seal recently broken. He rolled it open and started reading it; it was the authorisation that was signed by the guild which gave the three siblings total control over Astera. As Lio read it, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand. He placed the scroll back down and noticed another one beside it, so he too unravelled that one to take a look. This was the initial report issued to the original leaders of Astera, preparing them for the arrival of Phaestus’ children. Lio looked down to see Ranus’ signature beside Phaestus’ name, causing him to frown in confusio-...

‘Lio, glad I found yo-...’ Lio instinctively crushed the scroll, creasing it slightly as he heard the voice coming from behind him. He turned around with his right hand still holding onto the report and his arm bent backwards against his back to hide it from sight. Rion was standing in front of him at the entrance of the tent flashing him a rather puzzled look. Phobos was by his feet, but quickly ran over to Lio, hugging him at the ankle. Lio’s mind was flustered by the sudden intrusion, but quickly regained his composure as he replied.

‘What do you want?’ Rion was taken aback by his son’s unusually cold response but decided to brush it off as he continued asking.

‘Where is everyone else? I have something that I want to discus-...’ Lio then interrupted his father saying.

‘They are going to be conditioned under Stero, and unless you want the same treatment, I suggest you leave.’ Lio’s stern voice was beginning to scare Phobos as well, as he let go of his ankle, starting to take a few steps backwards. Lio then raised his voice, now looking down at Phobos, ‘Did you not hear me? GET OUT!’ Phobos squealed in terror as he ran back to the comfort of Rion’s boots, hiding behind them. Rion frowned at Lio as he stood his ground by the entrance, both furious and confused by the despicable behaviour.

‘Lio, you listen very carefully to me, I-...’ Lio walked up to his father and interjected him once more, saying.

‘Rion, I will not say this again. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Please leave. Now.’ This was the first time Rion heard Lio address him by his name, and as much as he wanted to discipline his son, somehow there was something urging him to listen. This gut feel was surprisingly enough for Rion to take a step back and leave the tent.

As soon as Rion left, Lio let out another heavy sigh as he sat himself down in the middle of the room. He shut his eyes and muttered to himself.

‘I don’t want to hear a thing you have to say...’

‘And why wouldn’t you?’ Lio immediately shot his eyes opened when he heard a foreign voice coming from the entrance of the tent once again. This time, neither did the voice nor the face look familiar to Lio, as he frowned at the foreign figure that was standing by the entrance of the tent. ‘Knowledge is power, and power is everything...’ The figure unhooded himself and sat down by the table, across from Lio, making himself at home. Lio traced him with his eyes till he sat down before saying.

‘Can I help you?’ Oros laughed at the question as he threw it back at Lio.

‘You look like the one that is in need help.’ Lio was unappreciative of the man’s mocking tone.

‘If you’re here to antagonise me, I suggest you leave right awa-...’

‘So why does the leader of such a closely knit hunting party suddenly turn on his own?’ This question dug at Lio’s heart as he fell silent. Oros then continued, ‘Is it power? Control? Perhaps greed or acceptance, Rion can be a difficult man to please. I cannot imagine having him as a father, such big shoes to fill.’ Oros offered a moment of silence before continuing, ‘Or is it guilt? Maybe even... Love?’ Lio looked up as he heard that word, glaring menacingly at Oros as a warning. Oros laughed at his reaction, ‘My dear boy, the reason is not important, because everyone has one. What’s important is that you don’t regret it.’ Oros stood up and started circling the table as he continued speaking, ‘Your actions will paint a picture for the entire world to see. And just like art, its beauty and appreciation is in its beholder. We are ultimately judged by our conscience alone. The world outside is filled with demons friend, it’s the ones inside that we really need to watch out for...’ The more Oros spoke, the more uneasy Lio started to feel. It was as if he could see through to his soul and his intentions. It didn’t help that his choice of words added to the mysterious aura that radiated from his persona. Lio then turned around and asked him.

‘Who are you?’ Oros straightened his back as he replied.

‘I am a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Be careful, boy, for we are among wolves.’ With this, Oros left the tent. Lio was left wondering what in the hell that was about. He has never met or seen this man before and yet he spoke as if he has known Lio his entire life. Speaking of Rion and the squad as if he had been watching them since the day the fifth fleet arrived. Lio was banking on the off chance that he might at least recognise his name, but was not even fortunate enough of knowing it. Lio continued tidying up the tent while waiting for Stero’s return, his mind occupied by the mysterious man’s words.

Oros returned to Arges’ tent, and saw him mending his hammer. As soon as he entered, Arges threw him a question.

‘So, how much time do we have until the Elder Dragons arrive?’ Oros laughed as he said.

‘It’s not a weather forecast; we can’t predict when they will come.’ Arges chuckled sarcastically in response.

‘Well in that case you better give me an accurate estimate. Otherwise, I will have your head for any time or resources wasted.’ Oros was left silent this time, offering no laughter or smile.

‘My, my, hurling such empty threats will not get you anywhere...’ This challenge caused Arges to put his things down and stand up to face Oros.

‘Empty? You think I won’t kill you?’ Oros smiled as he replied.

‘As foolish as that decision may be, I have full faith in your ability to commit a colossal mistake, so no, I don’t doubt that. That is why you have me, to stop you from ruining your father’s plan.’ Arges was getting increasingly furious by the lack of respect Oros was giving him.

‘You speak as if you know everything!’ Oros replied quickly.

‘I know enough.’ Arges was now standing in front of Oros, staring at him directly in the eye, attempting to instil a certain level of fear into the man to no avail. Oros chuckled at the futile attempt as he continued, ‘We may have a common agenda, Arges, but that does not mean that I will bend to your every will.’ Arges retaliated.

‘Everyone, bends to my will! Your words mean nothing to me!’

‘If you don’t trust my words, you can trust my pride.’ With this, Oros turned his back to Arges, walking toward the entrance of the tent. Just before he left, he looked up to the sky to study the movement of the clouds. He then turned around and muttered to Arges, ‘If we’re lucky, three days...’ Arges was still thinking about Oros’ words but was conscious enough to retain the final sentence that Oros blurted out without context.

Rion returned to Dr Ena, to which Dr Ena cried out in surprise.

‘That was quick. Did you manage to find them?’ Rion shook his head as he replied.

‘No.’ Rion sat himself down with Phobos still hugging his boots in fear. Dr Ena took a break from his work and sat himself down next to Rion as he asked.

‘Everything alright?’ Rion shook his head as he looked up at Dr Ena.

‘Lio’s not himself.’ Dr Ena perked his eyebrows as he enquired.

‘Not himself? What do you mean?’

‘He told me that the squad was directly under Stero, and threatened me to the same fate if I didn’t leave immediately. He never talks to me like that. He even called me by my name.’ Dr Ena knew the type of man Rion was. As liberal as he was, he could be quite traditional as well.

‘Ohh dear. What is going on here?’ Rion started shaking his head again as he continued.

‘I’m not very sure. I think for now I need to gather all the people I can trust and work something out. The squad will have to endure until they’re not that high of a profile. I cannot have them being used as leverage to compromise our plan.’ Rion then noticed Dr Ena looking on the ground, nodding weakly. Rion then continued, ‘And also the fact that I won’t be able to live with myself if they were tortured for information.’ Dr Ena now looked up and nodded more decisively as he responded.

‘Yes. Yes, of course.’

‘What in the hell are you doing to my room?!’ Stero screamed the moment she entered the tent and saw Lio ploughing through her things. He turned around and greeted her with a smile.

‘Hey there! I thought your room could do with a little tidying u-...’

‘Who do you think you are?! This is not your house!’ Lio cowered as he replied shakily.

‘Well, I just thought you woul-...’ Stero interrupted him as he continued shouting at him.

‘Lio, don’t get comfortable here. Just because yo-...’ Stero stopped herself when she noticed a bundle of white lilies in a vase on top of the shelf. She approached it slowly and lifted one from the rest and placing it against her nose as she took a whiff. The strong scent flowed right up her nostrils where her olfactory glands picked up the fresh and sweet smell. The translated sensation reached her brain, bringing back sweet memories of her time spent with Lio and all the joy she felt. That feeling slowly turned to nostalgia, leaving her with a heavy heart as she lowered the lily and stared blankly at the shelf. She turned around and looked at Lio who was just standing there looking at her. ‘You remembered...’ As soon as Lio heard this, he walked over to her and said.

‘Of course, how could I forget?’ Lio was about to wrap his arms around Stero when she threw a question at him coldly.

‘Why did you leave me?’ Lio was taken aback with that question as he responded.

‘Well, I uhh...’ Stero then prompted again.

‘Why, Lio? We had everything that anyone could’ve dreamed of. A stable relationship, a supportive social circle, a future! Why did you throw all of that away?’ Lio sighed as he looked away. As he was trying to come up with some cheesy reply, he decided to settle for the truth as he turned back to Stero and said.

‘I’m sorry, Stero. What I did was unforgiveable, and I get that, and you deserve the truth. I left all of that behind because of my father. He was the only family I had left and I couldn’t bear to let him go to the New World alone. It pained me to leave you, trust me.’ Stero’s eyes began tearing as she heard that, not because she felt remorse for Lio, but because of how seemingly easy he made that decision. Lio then continued, ‘But things are different now! You’re here, and we can start over. I know there are things that we have to amend, but...’ Stero then cut him off, correcting him.

‘You. Things you have to amend...’

‘Right, me. I will amend them. But at least give me a chance to show you that I was always sincere with what we had.’ Stero turned away from Lio, and stared back at the vase of lilies. The sight of them did wonders to calm her down as they brought nothing but pleasant memories of her past. So she reluctantly turned to him and said.

‘Let me think about it...’ Once that conversation was concluded, Stero took a seat and began recalling the encounter they had in the tent earlier that day with the unruly squad members. She then turned to Lio and asked, ‘Give me a rundown of the four. Tell me what they are like.’ Lio sat down beside her and began.

‘Well, Rhodes and Eros are not too complicated. They are your average hunter and handler duo. Eros is a softie, easy to break. He doesn’t react too well to violence, so a simple scare should do the trick to get him in line. Rhodes is an intellectual, not exactly someone we need to worry about since she will not be able to overpower us.’ Lio paused to let Stero process everything he just said. Stero stared into the distance for a brief moment, appreciating the silence, before turning to him and prompting.

‘What about that crazy bitch?’ Lio chuckled as he said.

‘Rhen. She’s a tough one. Extremely unpredictable and skilful. She knows how to turn a situation to her advantage quickly, and she’s a survivor. She’s also fairly impersonal when it comes to making decisions, making her quite a bit tricky to threaten.’ Stero then enquired.

‘And is there anything she doesn’t particularly like?’ Lio started stroking his chin as he sat there thinking about what Rhen doesn’t like. An epiphany struck as he replied.

‘Mushrooms! I believe she hates them...’ Stero frowned at Lio but nodded in appreciation for that response. Stero now returned to staring at a distance blankly before asking, ‘And what about that boy?’ Lio cleared his throat before speaking.

‘That was Deimos. A rather mysterious guy, doesn’t talk much. He has this profound love for nature and is quite proficient with a charge blade.’ Stero turned to face Lio once she felt the silence in the room.

‘That’s it? What more can you tell me about him?’ Lio was beginning to sweat as he was thinking of what to tell Stero.

‘I didn’t know him very well. Like I said, he kept to himself mostly.’ Stero scuffed as she looked away, sparing Lio the threatening gaze. Lio heaved a silent sigh of relief the moment Stero looked away in contemplation. Stero then asked out loud.

‘I usually discipline my workers in groups. It’s more efficient that way. But seeing as though these are an interesting bunch, I may want to adopt a more... Personal approach...’ Lio gulped when he heard that, unsure of what Stero had installed for them. Stero then faced Lio and instructed, ‘Bring Deimos in first.’

Lio left the tent and headed toward the cell. He unlocked the door and saw the four of them seated in a circle in the middle of the room. The moment the door opened, the four of them turned to face Lio with less than friendly glares. Lio then spoke up.

‘Deimos, come with me.’ Deimos turned to the rest to give them a reassuring look as he took off his black scarf, leaving it with them. He then stood up and walked to the door. Lio grabbed his right arm firmly as he closed the door behind him with his other hand. As the two of them were walking toward the tent, Deimos turned to look at Lio, stealing a glance at him. He had no idea what had gotten into him. As the feeling began to swell within Deimos, his heart began to ache. It was not what Lio did that caused the most pain, but the lack of understanding and reasoning that caused this whole situation to gnaw away at Deimos’ heart. As his heart and mind was filled with these unsettling thoughts, Lio continued escorting him toward Stero’s tent. The moment they entered, Lio swung Deimos’ arm violently to push him forward. Deimos stood in front of Stero with Lio standing by the entrance to ensure Deimos doesn’t try anything funny.

‘What is this?’ Stero looked at Deimos in the eye and smiled as she said.

‘Well, you’re here because you are incapable of following instructions and showing respect where it is due.’ Deimos flashed a frown at Stero as he heard this. Stero got up and picked up a short whip with small barbs on its tips. These small pricks were made to hook onto flesh with ease, but when retracted at a certain angle, would remove chunks of flesh. Nothing fatal, but excruciating. Deimos took notice of the whip and chuckled as he asked Stero.

‘So you’re going to beat me into submission?’ Stero looked over to Lio as she replied.

‘Clever boy.’ Stero then walked over to Deimos, placing her left hand over his right cheek. ‘Such a pity, to destroy such a thing of beauty.’ Stero then ran her left thumb over his three-clawed scar across his eye as she scuffed, saying, ‘But it looks like I was not the first...’ As soon as Stero said this, she circle round to Deimos’ back and examined the muscles from his shoulders. At this juncture, Stero raised her right hand and sent it down swiftly against his bare skin. The moment the whip landed, the small hooks sink seamlessly into his flesh, locking them in place. Stero then forcefully yanked the whip away from her victim, causing multiple pieces of flesh to detach from Deimos’ body.

‘ARGH...!’ Deimos wailed as his back jerked forward and away from the source of pain. Stero gave him no rest as she went in for another blow. This time, some of the hooks landed on the exposed flesh, causing more pain than before. The pain that Deimos was feeling was sharp and distinct but nothing he could not endure. With subsequent strikes being increasingly excruciating, Deimos could feel his back beginning to burn, as if layer after layer of flesh were being peeled off slowly. Blood was beginning to drip from the wounds as the wounds got deeper, at which point Deimos fell forward and onto his knees. He straightened his hands to support his body weight, with his back now horizontal and exposed for Stero to continue. Stero turned to Lio and said.

‘Get him up!’ Lio went round and helped Deimos by grabbing him from under his armpit. As soon as Deimos realised this, he used his left arm to push Lio away, refusing his help. As soon as Stero saw this, she went to the side and kicked Deimos in the abdomen, causing him to tumble to his right, coughing after that forceful strike against his diaphragm.

‘You ungrateful maggot!’ Stero shouted at him and was about to land another blow when Lio stopped her right arm and said to her.

‘Maybe we should slow this down a bit...’ Stero turned to Lio and said.

‘Getting soft so quickly, Lio?’ Lio smiled as he said.

‘Not really. Let the wounds heal, and just before they close, you can reopen them again. That’s how you deliver the most pain.’ Stero’s sadistic eyes began to glisten when she heard the first tinge of malice coming out of Lio’s lips. Lio wasn’t done, however, as he continued, ‘And may I suggest disciplining the rest in front of him. Let him watch, it might speed up the process...’ Stero smirked at Lio as she turned her attention back to Deimos who was still on the floor. He was pushing himself up with his right hand, panting in pain as he did so. Stero then started nodding as she said to Lio.

‘Get the next one in...’


	48. House of Cards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention my beloved readers!!
> 
> Due to an upcoming change and shift in my life's routines, there may be a change in day where I post a new chapter. Do not be alarmed, as it should only be a day's difference, and I will still try my level best to post one chapter per week. However, I do seek your kind understanding if I happen to be too busy with work and am unable to post for that particular week, in which case I will try my best to inform you guys beforehand.
> 
> Else wise, do enjoy Chapter 48! Take care all~

As Lio went out of the tent to fetch the next prisoner, Stero forcefully pulled Deimos up and threw him on a chair. His chest pressed against the rails of the chair, leaving his still bleeding back exposed. Stero tied each of his straightened arms to the stiles of the chair at the wrists, causing Deimos a great deal of discomfort. Stero went to the front to face him as she said.

‘Your suffering has only just begun. I hope you are ready…’ Deimos was disinterested in whatever Stero had to say, with his heart and mind clouded with grief and anguish. While the physical wounds from the whipping caused significant pain, it was not nearly as tormenting as the mental and emotional pain felt. As Stero stood up, she returned to the table where her equipment was laid out neatly. Just as she was about to take a seat, Lio re-entered with Rhen, holding her by her left arm. He flung her forward violently, causing her to fall to the ground. She turned around to look at Lio in the eye. She glared at him but did not utter a single word. Stero went round the table and approached Rhen with a sadistic look on her face, picking up a small metallic rod with small but visible hooks, meant to peel off flesh as it ran across the skin. Similar to the barbed whip that was just used on Deimos, this peculiar looking device was not meant to fatally wound or cause significant harm to its victim.

As Deimos sat exhausted on the chair, he mustered enough energy to keep his eyes open to see Rhen kneeling on the ground, Stero pointing the vile tool directly at her face. Rhen stared intently at Stero, as if inviting her to get on with it. Stero caught on quickly as she said to her.

‘Begging for it, are you?’ Rhen chuckled as she replied.

‘Looking at your ugly face is already the most torturous thing I’ve experienced in my life!’ At the sound of her reply, Stero lifted her empty right hand and slapped Rhen across the cheek. The blow forced Rhen to turn to her right, as she saw Deimos tied to the chair and looking at her. He had a reassuring stare, as if urging her to maintain her composure and conviction. Rhen flashed him a smile as she turned back to look at Stero. Stero dragged a stool and placed it in front of Rhen, turning to Lio and saying to him.

‘Sit her down.’ Lio grabbed her and lifted her up on her feet effortlessly, sitting her down on the stool. Stero forcefully spread open Rhen’s legs and placed the tool against her inner left thigh. The sensation of the cold hard steel against her exposed flesh sent a shiver up Rhen’s spine. Stero looked at Rhen with a sadistic smile as she swiftly scraped the skin.

‘AHHH FUCK!’ Rhen screamed in agony as she felt the first layer of her flesh tear away seamlessly. Her scream pierced Deimos’ heart as he began frowning at the scene. Stero now transitioned over to her other thigh, pressing the tool against the flesh, ready to rip the flesh from the skin. Before doing it, Stero looked Rhen in the eye, plastering the same sadistic look she had before. Without remorse, she repeated the same action of ripping at the flesh, causing Rhen to let out another screech. Rhen began tearing at this point, as Stero ravelled in the torment she was causing.

‘Feels good, doesn’t it?’ Stero levelled her face to Rhen as she asked. Rhen looked straight into Stero’s eyes as she spat a mouthful of saliva at her as she replied.

‘Yeah. Fucking ecstatic!’ Stero retracted quickly and kicked the stool with her right foot, causing Rhen to fall backwards and onto the ground. She landed on her back as she wailed in pain, while Lio helped her up. Stero now said to Rhen, still wiping the spittle from her face.

‘You bloody whore, you really are testing my patience!’ Stero raised her hand with the tool, about to graze it against Rhen’s cheek, when a deep voice emerged from the entrance of the tent.

‘What is going on here?’ Stero looked over and behind Rhen’s shoulder to see Oros standing by the entrance with his hands folded behind and resting on his lower back.

‘What concern is that to you? Now get your old ass out of my tent before I-...’ Oros then interrupted her as he unhooded himself and walked around to stand next to Rhen.

‘Temper, temper... It seems to run in the family...’ Stero’s eyes began to swell with rage as she instinctively turned the tool, pointing it toward Oros. As soon as he noticed this, he chuckled as he continued, ‘Ohh don’t you worry, I would never question your methods.’ Those words helped Stero loosen her gaze as she lowered her hand, replying.

‘You would do well not to, now get ou-...’

‘But I question the necessity of it.’ Stero immediately returned to her original state the moment she heard that. Before she could rebut, Oros continued. ‘I understand that you need hunters to do your bidding yes?’ Oros now left the company of the three of them in the room and started walking toward Deimos. ‘And so, you go about your normal business of disciplining them, hoping to force them into submission through violence.’ Oros was now in full view of Deimos’ still bleeding back. He cringed a little at the sight but quickly regained his composure as he turned around to look at Stero.

‘So what do you suggest you old hag?!’ Oros chuckled as he walked toward her and said calmly.

‘Did you try asking them?’ Those words shocked her as she recalled their first confrontation. Oros laughed at her reaction as he said, ‘Didn’t think so. All of this, so unnecessary. As you rightfully brag that fear is your choice of weapon, it happens to be mine as well, but be careful not to be a slave to it.’ Oros now turned to Rhen who was still wearing an interesting grin on her face. Oros placed his index finger under her chin with his thumb resting on top of it. ‘This one has a strong spirit, and your first strategy is to take it head-on?’ Oros now turned to face Stero. Stero was dumbfounded at this point, while a part of her was filled with rage for this humiliating confrontation of the stranger, her mind was hungry with curiosity as she remained silent to hear what Oros had to say. ‘This girl has endured hardship before, immense amounts of it. So do not use it against her, she has adapted well to it.’ At those words, Rhen began to wipe the grin off from her face, uncomfortable with where Oros was going. He turned back to face her as he continued, ‘She came from a broken family, it’s easy to tell, so doesn’t it seem obvious what we could use as leverage?’ Stero muttered to herself.

‘The handler...’ Oros smiled as he heard Stero say those words from behind him. He flipped his hood over his head as he took his leave, uttering his final words.

‘Besides, you wouldn’t need her on your hunt now would you?’ Rhen’s face was in a mess, switching between that of concern and composure, a sudden influx of emotions making it increasing difficult to control her facial expression. She was shocked at how much Oros knew about her and was extremely uncomfortable with how he was able to manipulate her. Especially since she took extra care to put up a nonchalant forefront to trick those around her. It seems that Oros was no ordinary foe, and it was at this point that the squad realised a little too late. Stero looked over at Lio and said.

‘Get the others in here. Now!’

As Oros left Stero’s tent, he decided to head toward the research centre on the ground floor. He made frequent trips there, mainly to study the samples that were brought back by the scheduled hunters going out into the Ancient Forest. He made it a point to scan through the daily reports, clearly in search of something but he never really explained his intentions to anyone. As Oros took a quick glance at the reports, he noticed three things standing out: a spore, a metal shard and a large beige coloured thorn. He went over to it and asked crudely.

‘Did this come in today?’ One of the scholars nearby replied.

‘Just a few minutes ago.’ Oros chuckled to himself as he looked up in the sky. He could see rancid-coloured clouds traversing along the blue sky unusually quick, the atmosphere slowly becoming a pale sickly green. As soon as he noticed this, he turned back to the scholar and said to him.

‘Good. I want those samples destroyed.’ The scholar turned to face Oros with a confused look on his face.

‘Sir?’ Oros glared at him and replied.

‘You heard me...’ Oros took his leave as the scholar obediently took the three samples from the table, and throwing it into the nearby fireplace. As Oros was about to leave the research centre, he noticed Rion and Dr Ena by a table having a discussion. He decided to creep over to see what they were discussing.

‘... Ranus handed this to me and sai-...’ Rion was interrupted when he heard footsteps coming toward him from the back. He wanted to turn around to see who it was but Oros beat him to it saying.

‘Interesting amulet you have there, Rion.’ Rion shut his eyes, angry with himself for not being quick enough to hide the artefact from Oros. He stood up and turned around to face him as he said.

‘Hello Oros.’ Oros’ gaze was locked on Rion’s right hand as he slid the amulet into his pocket, his mind deep in thought as he ignored Rion’s greeting. Dr Ena stood up and asked.

‘What brings you here?’ Those words broke Oros’ trance as he looked up at Rion, responding to Dr Ena’s question.

‘I was just checking on the daily reports brought in by the hunters.’ Dr Ena raised his brows and asked.

‘Did they bring back anything interesting?’ Oros now turned to look at Dr Ena and replied sternly.

‘No.’ Rion locked his gaze on Oros, cautious of his every move. Oros turned his attention back to Rion as a smile emerged from his face. ‘It was good to see the both of you. Do take care and try not to get yourself killed.’ Oros then looked down at Rion’s feet to see Phobos hiding behind his thick boots. He stared intently at the little critter, as if peering into his soul. Oros had a look of familiarity plastered on his face, but wiped it clean off quickly as he bid the two gentlemen farewell, taking his leave promptly. Rion looked as Oros left the research centre, before turning back to Dr Ena saying.

‘I don’t trust him, doctor.’ Dr Ena nodded as he concurred.

‘Oros is an eccentric individual; it’s difficult to decipher his intentions and therefore a challenge to read him.’ Rion turned to Dr Ena, raising his brow as he said.

‘You sound like you trust him.’ Dr Ena then defended.

‘Ohh, not by a long shot, sir. All I am saying is when it comes to Oros, you have to be on your guard.’ At those words, Rion nodded in agreement. He took out the sapphire amulet from his pocket as he stared at it. Rion then enquired.

‘So, Ranus has given up...’ Dr Ena asked.

‘Have you told anyone else yet?’

‘Only Phil and Argos knows. And well, now you. I was hoping to let the squad in on this too but they have been compromised. I wanted to begin planning our contingency but...’ Dr Ena then patted Rion on the shoulder as he reminded him.

‘This group of youngsters are fighters, and they will survive. We have to help them by enduring as well, as much as we can.’ Simple words that left Dr Ena’s lips resonated with Rion’s heart as he nodded in agreement. The guild may have given up on them, but the squad has not, for their sake, as well as Astera’s, they must push on, Rion thought. Just as he was reinvigorated by Dr Ena’s words, a grim reminder of what happened in the tent earlier that day with Lio struck him.

‘I can’t seem to figure Lio out either. Why would he do this? What is he up to?’ Rion’s heart and mind raced as he began going through all the possibilities, the good and the bad. Rion was beginning to feel his logical self drift away as the thought of losing his only son, or family for that matter, began flooding his mind. Furthermore, Rion knew his son, and while he knew that Lio did everything with a reason, the benefit of doubt and trust that was needed in this situation was found to be quite a stretch. Besides, why would Lio not let anyone from the squad in on whatever plan that he had, assuming he was even still on their side. Rion then turned to Dr Ena to spare him from further silence as he said, ‘I fear for Lio, doctor.’

‘Fear what, sir?’ Rion turned to face Dr Ena as he said.

‘I fear losing him.’ Dr Ena then comforted him saying.

‘I don’t believe Lio to be the sort to change his allegiance. I mean it seems all too...’

‘Sudden? Random? It’s not a coincidence that he was in Stero’s tent, doctor...’ Dr Ena then perked his brows in confusion as Rion clarified. ‘Lio and Stero used to be a uhh... Unit.’ Dr Ena now began frowning as he started to better grasp the situation at hand. Rion then continued, ‘And people kill for many reasons, doctor. Power, knowledge, even love. And the fact that he mentioned the squad was being conditioned under Stero, that is a bold move to make. I don’t believe that my son would do such a thing.’ Dr Ena eyes shot wide open as he replied.

‘That doesn’t sound good at all. They would need food, and perhaps medicine...’ Rion looked at him and said.

‘Yeah they would.’ Dr Ena flashed a worried look as he said.

‘I will see what I can do, I think I can get a good amount of lifepowder from the sickbay.’ Rion reacted with a smile as he replied.

‘Thank you, doctor.’ A brief silence fell between the two before Dr Ena spoke up saying.

‘Let’s hope Lio isn’t too far gone after all of this is over.’ Rion looked up at Dr Ena, offering no facial response as he replied.

‘I sincerely hope so.’

Lio brought Rhodes and Eros into the tent, getting them to stand in front of Stero. Deimos was still tied to the chair and Rhen kneeling on the floor. Lio got Rhodes and Eros to stand next to Rhen, as Stero spoke.

‘It has occurred to me that I should not waste my time in disciplining all of you. Instead, I should just demand for what I want, so I will make things very simple. Do as you are told, or else your handler over here...’ Stero now walked over to Rhodes, placing her right hand over Rhodes’ left cheek. ‘Will die for it...’ Rhen turned to look at Rhodes, trembling in fear as she responded.

‘Leave her alone!’ Stero turned to look at Rhen as she responded.

‘I will, if you stand in line...’ Eros turned to look at Deimos and noticed his badly wounded back. He locked eyes with Deimos who was looking at him as well. Deimos shook his head slowly, urging Eros not to react to the scene. Eros felt a dagger stabbed through to his heart, seeing both his lifelong friend and past lover in such a state gnawed away at him. So he turned to face Stero to ask confidently.

‘What do you want from us?’ Stero turned her gaze over to Eros as she replied.

‘Arges needs a team to hunt something for him. And I need to bring together a team that is capable of completing it. So, since Lio sai-...’ Eros interrupted Stero and said.

‘We’ll do it.’ Stero now turned her attention to Eros and she walked over to him.

‘I like your confidence, pretty boy. But your words mean nothing to me...’ Eros then replied.

‘Well, you could...’ Eros bit his own tongue, unwilling and unsure of making a deal with the devil on everyone’s behalf, but Deimos spoke up, getting him out of the messy situation.

‘You can have all our heads if we come back empty handed.’ Stero turned to look at Deimos, flashing him an impressed smile. ‘What’s the difference anyway? You’re going to find a way to kill us one way or another...’ Stero walked over to Deimos and squat down to level her eyes with his.

‘I like how feisty you are. True, I will want to personally kill each and every single one of you for your rotten behaviours.’ Stero stood up and turned around, addressing all of them. ‘Not only will I kill you, but I will start with your miserable handler friend over here and I will do it slowly. I will rip her limb from limb and make you watch as she screams in pain. Only after I have drawn every ounce of pleasure from the process, will I end her miserable life before moving on to the next...’ Stero was now standing in front of Rhen as she continued, ‘and I will make sure you are the last to die. Am I clear?’ Rhen offered no response, so Stero kicked her in the gut, causing her to fall to the ground as she screamed a second time. ‘AM I CLEAR?!’ Deimos then shouted from the other end of the room.

‘Yes we’re clear!’ Stero fixed her gaze on Rhen as she smiled saying.

‘Your boyfriend just saved your life. Now get these maggots out of my face!’ At those words, Lio escorted them back to the cell as Stero went over to Arges’ tent to report.

After Lio escorted Eros, Rhodes and Rhen to the cell, he returned to the tent to fetch Deimos. He walked over to Deimos, who was looking at him intently. Lio untied the knots on his wrists before lifting him up on his feet. At this juncture, Lio looked at Deimos and noticed tears trickling down his face.

‘Crying? Really?’ Deimos’ facial expression remained unchanged as he continued glaring at Lio as he responded.

‘They’re not for me...’ Lio felt a sharp stab in his heart as he fought hard to not show any emotion to that statement. He dragged Deimos out and into the cell, shutting the door behind him. As he looked around to make sure no one was around, he shut his eyes and began sobbing in the corner. Lio was devastated, he didn’t know how much more he could endure. Maybe all of this was a mistake and he was over thinking the whole situation. Lio placed his hands on the wall, straightening his arms as tears started dripping from his now shut eyes, falling on the ground. He tried to compose himself quickly, to minimise the risk of other people catching him in such a state, but was struggling to do so as his heart required this much needed release. As Lio wiped the tears from his eyes with his hands, he hesitantly peeped through the barred window on the cell door, seeing the four of his closest friends cuddled in a circle, tending to each other’s wounds. The sight tore his heart and he knew things could never go back to what it was before, and he could only do his best to keep the people he loved safe. That thought, was what gave him the strength to do what he did, and it had to be enough to endure what he was about to do.

‘Your hunters are ready.’ Stero said to Arges.

‘Are they now? Good. Where are they?’ Stero pointed using her left hand, clenched in a fist with her thumb sticking out toward the cell they lay just adjacent to the tents. Arges raised his brows as he nodded in shock. ‘That defiant huh...? Ok.’ Lio entered the tent and stood beside Stero. Arges glared at Lio and raised his voice saying, ‘What are you doing here? Get out!’ As Lio was about to obey Arges’ command, Stero raised her arm to stop Lio. She then turned to her brother and said.

‘It’s alright, Lio’s with us...’ Arges chuckled as he said.

‘Is he really? I somehow doubt that...’ As Arges started to move toward Lio, Oros broke him out of his trance by changing the subject.

‘And what weapon does each of the hunters wield? If I may.’ Stero frowned at Oros, with Arges following suit shortly after. Stero was about to reprimand Oros for asking such an odd question when Arges flashed a smile and followed up by saying.

‘That’s a good question.’ Arges then turned to look at Stero, who turned to Lio, prompting him for a response.

‘The team has a glaive, a charge blade and a sword and shield user.’ Oros nodded as he began pacing around the room and mumbling to himself.

‘Two light, one heavy... Quick strikes like the rapid winds... Strong blows like the stubborn decay... Either to tackle the alpha...’ Arges squinted as he tried to make out what Oros was muttering to himself. Oros went to a nearby shelf and pulled a few leaves from a potted plant that was sitting there as he started fiddling with them.

‘Mister, we can’t hear what you’re saying...’ Oros looked up and stared at Arges.

‘We need more power...’ Arges then questioned.

‘Excuse me?’ Oros turned to look at Lio as he asked.

‘You wield the greatsword yes?’ Lio nodded, unsure of why Oros was asking that question to begin with. Oros then said, ‘You must follow the hunters and you must fight alongside the charge blade user...’ Lio resisted enlarging his eyes or reacting in any way as he heard that. As if reading his mind, Stero blurted out.

‘What are you going on about?! Stop talking in riddles an-...’

‘Kushala is swift, it moves at speeds that few can match. However, nature decided to play on this paradoxical way of thinking, and created a weakness that only fast weapons can exploit. Kushala’s metallic scales are layered in such a way that was meant to shield itself from direct and immense force. Being layered, however, smaller quicker weapons are able to slide between them to cut the ever vulnerable flesh within. Not to mention the lightweight of the weapons will allow the hunters to make full use of the short periods of time that Kushala remains grounded.’ A lot of what Oros just shot out of his mouth flew over Stero’s head. Arges and Lio, however, were beginning to appreciate the value of knowledge, as both of them listened attentively, as Oros continued. ‘Vaal Hazak is an exceedingly intelligent creature. While docile and slow, its power relies on its ability to drag on the fight, for the longer the fight lingers, the weaker its opponents become. Its dreadful effluvia will kill its foes slowly but surely, which makes me question the effectiveness of light weaponry against this massive beast. Heavier more risky strikes should be directed at this demon to take it down as quickly as possible. The multiple layers of thick rotting flesh need to be stripped off quickly if the hunters want to survive their confrontation.’ Arges was getting engrossed in the pool of knowledge being poured out for everyone that he asked without thinking.

‘And the predator? Who is that?’ Oros looked up at him and said.

‘Why, the Eater of Elders, of course. Nergigante.’ Lio jerked his head back when he heard that name. Lio then asked.

‘Hold on, you’re asking the team to take on three Elders at the same time?’ Oros laughed as he said.

‘They will take them on simultaneously, yes, but also separately.’ Lio began sweating when he heard this, beginning to worry for the safety of the squad. Arges was sniggering to himself when he heard the plan, all whilst looking at the blueprint of his weapon that was placed neatly by his hammer. He was unsurprisingly eager for the hunters to harvest the much needed materials for his new weapon. Oros noticed Lio’s change in expression and probed him saying, ‘Are your hunters up for it, young man?’ Before Lio could answer, Stero glared at him, clearly expecting him to respond in a specific way. So Lio gulped before replying.

‘Yes they are.’ Oros smiled and said.

‘Good, very good. That will be the difference between life and death out there...’ As Oros said this, he abruptly left the tent. Stero turned to look at Arges as she asked.

‘Where in the hell did you find that weirdo?’ Arges laughed as he replied.

‘I didn’t. He found me. I don’t like keeping strangers so close to me but he’s been proving to be quite useful so far so I will expend every ounce of usefulness from this bloke before I dispose of him. Right now, his value outweighs my concerns, so I will let it slide...’ Stero shook her head and laughed at her brother as she said.

‘He didn’t even bother telling us about Nergigante.’ Lio then said.

‘Well, that’s because he knows someone else will brief the team.’ Arges frowned at him and asked.

‘Who?’ Lio looked at him and replied.

‘Me.’

‘Owww!’ Deimos muttered under his breath as Rhodes tried tending to his wounds.

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t make it any less painfu-...’ Deimos reassured her saying.

‘It’s ok Rhodes. Thanks for patching me up.’ Rhodes flashed a gentle smile as she wet a small piece of fabric and wiped the wounds on Deimos’ back. Eros was tending to Rhen’s wounds, seeing the tear on her inner thigh was sending chills up his spine. Rhen then slapped his cheeks gently saying.

‘Cheer up lover boy, it doesn’t hurt...’ Eros looked up and smiled at her as he slowly wiped her wound. ‘FUCKIN-...’

‘Shit! Sorry!’ Rhen bit her lower lip as she glared at Eros who was shielding his face, afraid that she might hit him. As the squad was about to clear up after the messy patching up work, a small package dropped from the railed window by the door, dropping to the ground and thumping. It rolled down toward the squad slightly before halting stationary.

‘What in the hell is that?’ Rhen asked as she backed away slowly from the ominous green ball.

‘It looks like something wrapped in leaves. Let me take a look.’ Rhodes got up to approach the small package as the rest remained where they were.

‘I’m pretty sure that isn’t our dinner.’ Eros commented. As Rhodes picked up the ball, it was just a simple ball wrapped with leaves, even the knot at the top was tied using a leaf. As Rhodes untied it, a generous amount of lifepowder revealed itself from within.

‘Someone gave us medicine!’ Rhodes stood up and rushed over to Deimos and Rhen. Rhodes sat between them preparing it for application. Deimos then said.

‘Give it to Rhen first, I’m alright.’ Rhen objected saying.

‘Are you mad? Have you seen the condition of your bac-...’ Deimos then interrupted as he said.

‘At least I can stand up.’ Deimos then looked at Rhodes and said. ‘Please, take care of her first.’ Rhodes nodded in agreement to Deimos’ argument as she applied the medicine to Rhen’s thighs.

‘Arrgghh...!’ Rhen gripped onto the fabric of her clothes tightly as the sharp pain coursed through the entirety of her body. Rhodes then quickly turned her attention to Deimos as she began applying the medicine. The pain for Deimos was sharp but not as agonising, so he made fairly inaudible grunts. Before long, Rhodes gathered the remainder of the lifepowder into two portions, folding them in the leaves that were used to wrap it. She gave one bundle to each of them, urging them to ingest it. Interestingly, this left her with nothing, as the entirety of the green ball was used up, which happened to be advantageous as it would be awkward to leave evidence behind.

‘Bleh! I’m so used to having it with honey. This really tastes like shit...’ Deimos complained. Rhodes chuckled as she said.

‘Well, now you will appreciate it the next time I make it for you.’ Deimos turned to her and smiled as he quickly looked away, sighing. Eros then placed his hand on his shoulder asking him.

‘Are you alright?’ Deimos looked up at Eros and smiled as he said.

‘Get some rest.’ Deimos then crawled over to the corner of the cell, leaning on his side shutting his eyes. As the pain of his wounds began to subside thanks to the medicine, the pain in his heart was beginning to take over as thoughts of what happened over the past few days began to take a toll on Deimos. As much as he wanted to believe that Lio wasn’t lost, what was playing out in front of his eyes was too much to ignore. This pain was more excruciating than any wound he had sustained. He tried his best to get some rest with his troubled heart, as tears began trickling down his face.

Arges left the tent and headed toward the research centre. After hearing Oros’ advice when facing the Elders, it conveniently reminded him of the group of hunters set up to collect any evidence of Elders found in the Ancient Forest. He arrived at the centre and asked the scholars there.

‘Any news from the search party?’ The scholar turned to face Arges as he replied.

‘They just returned, sir.’ Arges then asked eagerly.

‘Any sign of the Elders?’ The scholar looked at him and responded.

‘No, sir.’


	49. Pandora's Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Warning]: Mature content

It was difficult for Deimos to fall asleep. With the mental, emotional, and physical discomfort becoming almost unbearable for him, it would be a miracle if he could catch any amount of sleep. Deimos opened his eyes and sat up straight, feeling his bones in his spine crack after a few hours of slouching in a horrendous posture. He rested his hands on the ground and looked up to see the other three sound asleep; Rhodes was lying down on the ground, using her hands to cushion her face from the hard-wooden floor. Eros rested his back against the wall, leaning his head back with his legs outstretched on the floor. Rhen was seated upright, with her right leg folded in, bending her knee and resting her head on it, sleeping in that position seemed uncomfortable but she clearly had no trouble falling asleep. This sight gave Deimos a little comfort, reminding himself of what he was truly suffering and fighting for. While Deimos was still figuring out what happened with Lio, he could not risk losing something that was dear to him over something that might only still be alive. The lack of logic was pushing Deimos to the edge, and while his mind knew what he should do, his heart struggled to concede to it.  
Deimos stood up and walked to the door, peering out of the barred opening to steal a glance at the night sky. It was still the middle of the night, with most of Astera already sound asleep. The moon was plastered conveniently in Deimos’ view, with her luminous beauty gracing the sky and illuminating the New World. Nature found its way into Deimos’ soul quickly, making quick work to calm his nerves, and for a brief moment, Deimos was in absolute bliss. A chill breeze kissed his bare skin, bringing him back to reality a little too soon, reminding him of the still sore wounds on his back. He reached back with his hands, running by the cuts that were already closed, but still sensitive to the touch. Regardless, the wonders of lifepowder never failed to impress Deimos. Such simple ingredients, put together, creating such a miraculous medicine, it was a wonder of nature. Deimos placed his hands on the door; his right hands flat against the wooden door and his left wrapped around the cold metal bars. It was suffocating, being caged up like this, and that emotion was motivation enough for him to think of a way to get everyone out of this mess. He was determined, even though the details were nowhere near solid.   
Deimos couldn’t get enough of the moon, but fatigue began creeping back in as he felt his eyelids get heavy. He took one last glance at the world outside his prison, before returning to his corner. As he turned around, he found Eros standing in front of him, wearing a smile on his face as he looked at Deimos. Deimos got a little startled as he remained silent. Eros had Deimos’ black scarf in his hands and started coiling it around Deimos’ neck as he said.  
‘It’s quite chilly. This should make you feel more comfortable…’ Deimos smiled at Eros as he helped him put on his scarf. The warm fabric shielding his skin from the cool winds, immediately providing much appreciated warmth. Eros instinctively slid his hands downward from Deimos’ neck and onto his bare chest, feeling Deimos’ slow heartbeat. The sudden sensation of another’s skin against his own caused Deimos to back away involuntarily, clearly unready for physical contact at this point of time. ‘I’m sorry! I didn’t mean t-…’ Deimos interrupted him saying.  
‘No no, it’s not your fault. I’m just uhh…’ Deimos now looked away, and found his eyes beginning to tear almost instantaneously. Eros noticed the tears and began feeling sorry for Deimos but maintained his distance to avoid making Deimos feel uncomfortable. Deimos continued backing away until his back touched the wall, causing him to stop immediately, bending his knees and sitting down on the ground. Deimos wiped the tears from his face and looked up at Eros, who was getting increasingly worried, those emotions reflecting clearly on his face. Eros squat down and said.  
‘If you need anything, please let me know. I know you’re going through a rough time.’ Deimos looked at Eros, offering him no facial expression as he replied.  
‘Thanks Eros, but I doubt there’s anything you guys can do to make me feel better. I have to deal with this on my own.’ Eros nodded empathetically as he asked.  
‘Do you want some company tonight? Or do you prefer to be alone?’ Deimos looked up at Eros saying.  
‘Thank you, Eros, but I...’ Eros replied as Deimos struggled completing his sentence.  
‘It’s ok, I get it. Have a good rest Deimos, see you in the morning.’ With this Eros got up and returned to his spot, getting comfortable and falling back to sleep. While Deimos was sorely tempted to drown his sorrows in Eros’ company, he could not bring himself to do it. The reason as to why this was the case was not clear. Guilt? Fatigue? He really couldn’t say, but all Deimos knew was that he needed rest, for he did not know what the next day had installed for them.  
Lio adjourned over to Bron’s tent, seeing that Stero was still uncomfortable with being in such close proximity with him. He made himself at home and tried to get as much rest as he could but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. The incident that occurred the past few days kept replaying in his mind, seeing the squad suffer under Stero’s hands was starting to take a toll on him. Lio rolled over to his side, curling himself up in a foetus position. Tears began flowing from his shut eyes as he started sobbing. The tightness that he felt in his chest was getting unbearable as thoughts of throwing in the towel and giving up started filling his mind. That thought was so tempting; he could just stop all of this and suffer together with his squad mates, and act like how a leader should. But these were the words of the heart, emotions that were brewing and storming within his chest, fierce and illogical, strong but erratic. Lio’s mind then reminded him of the risk that he was taking, a calculated one, and the decision to embark on this path was never for himself, but for the sake of those he cared about. This was the thought that he had to constantly remind himself of, were he to survive and endure the rest of the journey, for he did not know what was to com-...  
‘I see you’re making yourself at home...!’ Lio quickly wiped his tears with his arm when he heard a voice emerge from the entrance of the tent. He turned around to see Bron entering, throwing his things to the side and placing a scroll on the table. Lio sat up and said.  
‘Ohh, Bron. Hey...’ Bron walked over with a smile on his face, sitting himself beside Lio on the bedside. Bron nudged Lio on his left shoulder as he asked.  
‘How’s everything?’ Lio unintentionally sniffed before replying.  
‘Everything’s good!’ Bron frowned as he noticed the sniff and placed his left hand on Lio’s right cheek and asked.  
‘Are you... Crying? What’s wrong?’ Lio gently removed Bron’s hand from his cheek and looked away saying.  
‘No, I’m fine...’ Lio was in a little bit of a panic, realising that he could slip at any moment, adding to the stress and tension that he was feeling in his chest. Before Bron could respond, Lio chose to change the subject quickly, turning his attention to the scroll that Bron brought back. ‘So uhh, what did you bring back with you? What’s that?’ Lio reached out to take the scroll but Bron lunged forward quickly, beating Lio to it as he now stood in front of Lio.  
‘Nah ah ah, not so fast big guy. These documents are classified, not for your eyes...’ Lio chuckled as he said.  
‘Classified? C’mon Bron, since when were you even that committed into this whole thing? Let me take a look!’ Bron straightened his back and took a step back as Lio reached out a second time for the scroll. This time Bron bent his arm to hide the scroll behind his back.  
‘Lio, behave yourself. Or else the both of us will get into trouble...’ Lio got up from the bed and started walking toward Bron; while the both of them were about the same height, with Lio being slightly taller, Lio was way beefier than Bron was. This created a rather intimidating atmosphere, especially for Bron, but interestingly, both parties were wearing smiles across their faces as if they were used to this. Lio inched ever so slowly toward Bron until his buttocks pressed against the desk in the middle of the room. Lio continued his advance until Bron bent his back slightly and over the table. Lio stared at Bron and said.  
‘Don’t make me wrestle you for it!’ Bron jerked his eyebrows when he heard that, releasing the scroll from his grasp and lunging forward to tackle Lio. Bron wrapped his arms around Lio’s abdomen, pushing him down onto the floor. Lio grabbed Bron by the armpits and flung him over to the side, releasing his grip on Lio’s abdomen. Lio then spun over, and pinned Bron on the ground, holding onto Bron’s wrist with his hands, with his knees rested on either side of Bron’s waist. Lio looked down at Bron and chuckled as he said. ‘You were never good at wrestling...’ Bron laughed as he responded.  
‘Maybe that’s because I always let you win...’ Lio scuffed at that reply as he released his grip on Bron’s wrists. Bron looked at Lio’s entire exposed torso and said, ‘You know...’ Bron’s hand was now on the base of Lio’s abs, as he slid it playfully upwards along the firm contours of his muscular core. ‘You could convince me to let you take a peek at the report, Lio...’ The sudden influx of physical contact combined with the unusual tone from Bron was making Lio feel a little uncomfortable as he swatted Bron’s hand away from his body.  
‘Stop fucking around Bron!’ Lio let out a weak laugh as he said that, clearly using the profanity in a playful manner. Bron lay on the ground, fixing his gaze intently at Lio, his facial expression remaining unchanged, as the smile diminished from Lio’s face. ‘Buddy, listen, I can’t...’ Bron sat up and placed his right hand on Lio’s neck, feeling the strong heartbeat and popping veins as he said.  
‘Why not? Don’t tell me you’re not into guys, I’m pretty sure I saw you jerking off t-...’ Lio widened his eyes and rebutted.  
‘It’s not about that! As in, I’m kinda back with Stero now...’ Lio clearly wasn’t thinking as he blurted out a sloppily thought out answer. While Bron’s facial expression did change to that of shock, it was not a very drastic one, reflecting a very mild level of confusion.  
‘Ohh, still have feelings for my sister I see. Well, I’m not going to let her stand in the way. Besides, no one has to know.’ Lio plastered a face of shock and dismay when he heard that. Bron was clearly dead serious, and while Lio always knew that Bron had a thing for him, he tried to make it clear to him that it was impossible between them. Seems like Bron either never received the memo or was just too damn stubborn to accept reality. But under these circumstances, Lio was almost tempted to entertain Bron’s request, for the simple reason of what was at stake here. After all that Lio had done and was prepared to do, sex with another man seemed like a break from his malice. While his heart may disagree, he had no intention of adding emotions into the process anyway, if he were to fulfil Bron’s request, it would be entirely physical, but truthfully, that was not what bothered Lio the most. He ultimately did not want anything to jeopardise the position he already had with Stero, constantly reminding himself that that was his main objective. However, given the circumstances of the new report coming in, Lio was beginning to feel increasingly enticed by the offer made to him. Lio looked down at Bron with a frustrated look as he was still deep in thought, the expression was not intimidating, just rather strong. This made Bron say as he got up from Lio’s pin. ‘Ohh well, it’s alright then. I will just hand this over to Arges, after which I’m not sure if you’ll ever get the chance t-...’  
As Bron was about to reach out for the scroll, he was interrupted by a fierce grip on his right shoulder, spinning his body around. Lio pressed his lips against his, biting Bron’s lips firmly, causing it to turn red. Bron returned the ferocity by pushing his head toward Lio while pressing his tongue against Lio’s lips. Lio made a point not to be overzealous with his kiss, being very mindful to keep this as simple as possible. Before Bron could intertwine their tongues or prolong the kiss, Lio pulled away and began biting Bron’s neck.  
‘Uhhh... That’s the spot Lio, yes...’ Bron’s vocal response was a good indication to Lio that whatever he was doing was sufficiently erotic. So Lio continued licking and smearing his saliva along Bron’s neck. Lio noticed Bron eagerly undressing himself, so Lio helped him by ripping his clothes off in a rather rough manner, nearly tearing the fabric. This seemed to excite Bron even more as he let out a soft gasp of surprise. Bron’s hands were beginning to get adventurous as they traced along Lio’s broad muscular back, he slid his palms around and rested them in front where he wasted no time in fiddling with Lio’s nipples, attempting to get them erect. Lio was unsurprisingly uncomfortable with this, but forced himself to endure it, as he continued licking Bron’s neck. Once Bron’s teasing was getting a little too much for Lio to handle, he lifted Bron’s entire body to sit on the table, as he lowered himself to go directly for Bron’s member. Bron then stopped Lio and said. ‘Not so fast Lio, you gotta work for it...’ Lio flashed a confused frown which had a tinge of frustration in it as he realigned his attention to Bron’s chest. He went straight for Bron’s left nipple with his mouth while his left hand entertained Bron’s right.   
‘AHHH...!’ Bron’s overly enthusiastic moaning was beginning to worry Lio, as he was afraid someone would hear them. But he could not risk disappointing Bron either, so he decided to just continue. Lio has always been a gentle partner during sex, but his unwillingness reflected clearly in his sloppy servicing of Bron’s body. After noticing Bron’s left hand grabbing away at his groin, Lio figured he was ready, so Lio pushed Bron’s upper body to lie down flat on the table while Lio undid Bron’s trousers, revealing the fully erected penis. Lio stroked it with his right hand quite quickly, which initially sent Bron over the top. But Bron was quickly irritated when he noticed Lio was starting to just give him a boring handjob. ‘Lio, stick it in your mouth. And suck it slowly...’ Bron ordered as Lio stopped stroking, and hesitantly took Bron’s 5-inch penis into his mouth. Lio propped the rod vertical as he blew the shaft slowly and methodically. Once again, Bron’s moaning was getting gradually louder as Lio continued moisturising his penis.   
Bron now placed both his hands on Lio’s head as he started thrusting violently, leaving Lio little to no control over the speed of the blowjob. Lio began gagging to Bron’s rough and erratic thrusts, which Bron clearly did not care too much about as the pleasure he was experiencing was beginning to cloud his senses. Lio forcefully pushed himself away to free himself from Bron’s shaft, causing Bron to look down at him and sit up, saying.  
‘Your turn.’ Lio was very reluctant but once again forced himself not to resist. So he stood up to level his groin at Bron’s face. Bron wasted no time in undoing his pants, pulling Lio’s undergarments down violently, and exposing the large flaccid penis. Bron was initially disappointed, but also came to terms with the fact that you cannot force sexual attraction. However, stimulating the other party was always possible, so he began to stroke Lio’s flaccid penis with his left hand while his right hand slid upward to tease Lio’s left nipple. Lio let out an instinctive moan, which excited Bron even more, seeing his rod twitch in response. Lio’s penis was soon stiff, as Bron wasted no time in coating it in a generous amount of saliva. He worked hard in blowing Lio, taking the whole shaft into his mouth and even gagging a few times himself. Lio was mostly stationary, so any discomfort Bron felt was purely self-inflicted, assuming that he felt any, of course. After a few blows, Bron lay back down on the desk, spreading his legs and saying.  
‘I want you to fuck me Lio.’ Lio’s eyes locked onto Bron’s as he replied.  
‘Excuse m-…?’ Bron used his legs to wrap round Lio’s waist, pulling him in and causing his penis to press against Bron’s hole, nearly penetrating it. As Lio’s moist rod slid off from its target, Bron repeated himself.  
‘I want you to fuck me in the ass.’ Lio paused for a moment, and looked down at his still erected penis, already aimed conveniently at Bron’s anus. Lio had no other choice, so he slowly inserted his rod into Bron’s hole, causing Bron to wail in a mixture of pain and delight. While Lio was concerned with hurting Bron since he did not loosen the hole first, this concern was born out of the goodness of his heart and not the fact that he liked Bron in anyway. The frustration Lio was feeling over the entire situation made listening to Bron’s painful screams easier to bear, as Lio began thrusting faster into Bron’s anus. ‘Ahh... Yes... Lio...!’ Lio was beginning to feel disgusted by Bron’s verbal outputs, so he decided to quicken the process and get this over and done with. So Lio grabbed onto Bron’s still erected member and began stroking it. Bron was now screaming in pure ecstasy, his arms spread out on the desk, holding onto anything he could find to distract his mind from the pain he was feeling down south. Lio noticed Bron’s penile head beginning to secrete more pre-cum and turning into a familiar swollen red colour, so he sped up his thrusting and stroking. Bron let out a final moan as he began ejaculating streams of white semen.  
‘Lio I’m cumming! FUCK!’ Bron arched his back and squirted a generous load of his seeds into the air and onto his own bare body. Lio was careful not to get any of it onto his own body, as he aimed Bron’s penis away from himself. As Bron’s orgasm began subsiding, Lio’s strokes slowed down but went further down, pulling back more of Bron’s foreskin, allowing him to squeeze out the last few droplets of cum. Lio took this opportunity to pull out, seeing Bron exhausted, he jokingly said.  
‘You’re quite a shooter eh, Bron?’ Bron laughed at that comment, but his smile diminished when he sat up and saw Lio putting his trousers back on.  
‘Hold on, what do you think you’re doing?’ Lio turned to look at Bron, a blush beginning to appear on his cheeks.  
‘Aren’t you done?’ Bron frowned at Lio and shook his head as he said.  
‘I want your load, Lio.’ Lio gulped when he heard that, momentarily pausing the zipping up of the pants. Lio reluctantly let his pants drop again, freeing his still elongated member that was swollen red from the fierce thrusting before. Lio stood by the table, where Bron was now seated up on the table. Lio began masturbating in front of Bron, closing his eyes and tilting his head backwards trying to do this quickly. Obviously, his mind was filled with thoughts of Deimos; the love of his life. This caused Lio to moan and pant instinctively louder, making Bron much more eager. Bron decided to help by continuing to tease Lio’s now already hardened and erected nipples, which actually worked to push Lio closer to his climax amidst his fantasising. Soon, Lio opened his eyes and looked down as he sped up his stroking significantly, using his left hand to direct Bron’s head to his penis that was now throbbing and desperate for release. Bron willingly opened his mouth to suckle on Lio’s sensitive penile head, which was enough to trigger Lio’s ejaculation. Lio spewed his seed entirely into Bron’s mouth, giving him the entirety of his load. Bron was able to handle Lio’s full load, which was really saying something, despite Lio ejaculating twice with the sex with Deimos just a few days ago, Lio still had a considerable amount to give Bron now. Bron obediently swallowed all of it as he continued licking the pre-cum off Lio’s shaft, clearly wanting more. Lio allowed Bron to clean up but made sure not to allow him too much pleasure as he pulled his penis out and retreated back into his pants. Lio took a few steps back and said to Bron.  
‘Well, uhh...’ Before Lio could finish, Bron said to him.  
‘Lick me.’ Lio flashed a confused look.  
‘I’m sorry?’ Bron looked down at his cum soaked body, still wet with his own load, before looking back up at Lio, smiling. Lio was being pushed to the tipping point here, as he felt his chest tighten and warm up with rage. But once again, the thought of Deimos and the squad seemed to calm him down significantly, allowing him to perform all these atrocities. So Lio bent down and licked up every drop of semen on Bron’s body, intending not to swallow it. But when Lio reached Bron’s chest, he was interrupted abruptly by Bron’s hands clasping on Lio’s cheeks and bringing their lips together. Bron forced a kiss, where his tongue pushed Lio’s tongue inward, forcing him to swallow his seed. Lio was clearly uncomfortable but decided not to struggle lest the experience be even more uncomfortable. So Lio gulped everything in one mouth, tasting the rather sweet and slightly bitter semen from Bron. Once Bron noticed Lio accepting his seed, he pulled away, ending the kiss, and asked.  
‘How is it?’ Lio looked away and said while getting up.  
‘It’s ok.’   
‘Ouch, you hurt my feelings, big guy.’ Lio ignored Bron’s comment, clearly not in the mood. Bron put his clothes on and went over to Lio, caressing his broad muscular shoulders as he said, ‘We should sleep together tonight...’ Lio was getting very unsettled with the amount of physical contact Bron was demanding from him, but bit his tongue before he could respond in a way he might regret. Bron stroked Lio’s face gently before adjourning over to the bed and laid down. Lio looked at the scroll in the middle of the table and went over to it, sitting down and undoing the knot, he mumbled to himself.  
‘This had better be fucking worth it...’  
Oros returned to his old cabin after the meeting in Arges’ tent and took a seat by his study desk. He took a glance across his table, still messy with loose papers and stationery. Oros always had a brilliant mind, being one of the youngest scholars to be sent to Astera to head the research team. Not even Dr Ena could measure up to his intellect, but it was due to sheer amount of knowledge that created a gap between him and the other scholars. Oros was never one to mellow in self-pity; he worked with what was given to him, to the best of his ability. And that attitude cost him his career and his pride. Something that till this day, he did not regret, for his conscience was clear. All of this was done to continue research done in a particular field that was deemed unethical; the creation of life. It was the job and responsibility of a man of science to study nature with care and concern, but above all, respect for the balance of all things. Oros knew this was all an illusion, and as long as man was deemed as an entity outside of Mother Nature, the human race would never be allowed to progress. How could they? When men are seen as agents of chaos and destruction, that somehow nature and humankind are opposites, belonging to a different spectrum. Oros often wondered if it was arrogance or denial that led them to even begin entertaining the idea of classifying the two differently.  
It was because of this very notion that Oros worked closely with his father to unravel the secrets behind the energy of the life-giving crystals. Such power and energy provided by nature should be studied and understood, so that progress for the betterment of mankind can occur. Unsurprisingly, they were shunned by their comrades. So Oros’ father was forced to work in the dark, dealing with black market transactions and illegal means to acquire samples of the crystals to continue his study. The two were close, but they were at a breaking point, with no money to fund their research, the cost of illegal transactions were beginning to take a toll on their financial capabilities. Oros’ father therefore instructed Oros to go to the New World, where he would be able to continue their study in a more consistent and rigorous fashion. During their time apart, they would send frequent reports to each other to update on their study and possible findings, in the hopes of understanding the nature of the crystal better. Both parties were able to document their first crucial step in their study, with Oros’ father being the first. This happened almost twenty years ago, when his father documented a partial success of a procedure which involved the prolonging of human life. In the report, Oros’ father managed to save a boy who was on the brink of death by transferring the life force of another to his own. The crystals were used as a catalyst of sorts and also a stabilising agent for the process. The experiment was deemed a partial success because while the boy’s life was saved, the other party did not leave unscathed.   
The next significant report was that of Oros’, when he saved the canteen chef after the unfortunate incident of one of the ovens exploding. While Oros was unable to repair the scars, he managed to transfer the energy of the crystals directly to the host, proving that the crystal can not only serve as a catalyst, but also a source of life. Oros did not dismiss the fact that the victim did exhibit unusually high temperatures of fever for the following month, which was not only unnatural but extremely dangerous as well. However, the overall result of the procedure was deemed a success. While these were all encouraging and exciting to Oros and his father, most did not share their enthusiasm, but were instead fearful of what they may unearth. Least of all Rion, who at the time, had a very sceptical opinion toward the use of the crystals for any form of research. However, Rion did not overlook the good that Oros performed. Rion chose to give Oros the benefit of doubt, and merely stripped him of his title and rank as a head researcher, allowing him to stay in Astera but disallowed him access to any resources that would encourage him to further his research into this dangerous part of nature. While it did not discourage Oros from his path, it did make things undoubtedly inconvenient for him to pursue his research.  
Oros looked around his desk, picking up the research papers that he had written, looking through them and scanning for things that he may have possibly missed, any piece of information that may have been overlooked, for now was as good a time as any to continue his research, with so many of his restrictions being lifted, he was in a good position to make some serious progress.   
‘Raw energy, so pure, so powerful, so... Useless...’ Oros began mumbling to himself, finding it easier to verbalise his thoughts. He began shuffling through his notes and picked up a piece of paper with messy scribbles all over it. Oros quickly picked up one of his old pens and added to the scribbles as he continued muttering to himself. ‘What if we got a little help...’ Oros then turned to the crystal samples that he took from the research centre a few days ago. The blue crystal shard was sitting nicely on the table with the red pulsating magma crystal from Zorah beside it. As Oros stared intently at the two, he began noticing the resonance and pulsating rhythm of the crystals becoming in sync. Oros just continued staring at the crystals as he began frowning, as if forcing an epiphany to occur. Then without warning, he rushed to pick up the report from his father all those years back.  
‘The patient was cured, but the other party was scarred for life. For life? Really? Why...’ Oros now turned back to look at the crystals, seeing the energy pulse changing in rhythm, as if alive and with a mind of their own. ‘Energy... Like water, flows and nourishes...’ Oros now stood up from the desk, and began pacing around his cabin. Suddenly, he raised his voice.  
‘And if there isn’t enough energy...’ Oros then plastered a smile on his face as he continued in a much softer tone. ‘Father, your vessel would not be full…’


End file.
